Misunderstanding
by Laury Rose
Summary: Erina is heard by a journalist when she is declaring her love for Sōma. But was she really? It seems nobody cares about what she says on that matter... Welcome to Erina's personal hell. *Chapter 28 in slow progress, life's getting in the way but I'm working on it whenever I can. Hope it'll be out before the end of the month... sorry for the long wait...*
1. The spark

_Hello! This fiction is set before the Azami's arc. I've always wanted a story like that so here it is! This is going to be a multi-chap story though I don't really know how many chapters there will be yet. I hope you'll enjoy it :)_

 _Disclaimer : I do not own Shokugeki no Soma_

* * *

 **Chapter 1 : The Spark**

* * *

As she was standing outside her classroom door, Erina could hear people talking animatedly about the new hot subject. However, as soon as she slid it open, all of this came to a stop and a complete silence greeted her. You could even hear a bug fly.

Feeling incredibly annoyed, she came in proudly with Hisako in tow and took her seat in the front row. As soon as she sat down, loud whispering started with people glancing her way. She could feel it, and it was unnerving her to no end. True, one could think she'd be used to it since it really was nothing new to her, but not in those circumstances.

Before, they were either fearing her and her God's tongue since she could get them expelled in no time if she put her mind to it - that infuriating man being the only exception - or admiring her for her beauty. Now, they were spreading some gossip which was both completely untrue and horrifying.

As more whispers made their way to her ears, a vein pulsed against her temple. She was going to kill her cousin. And then, that journalist who dared to publish that trash. But the first on her to-kill list was the man who was the cause of all of this.

 _Speak of the Devil..._ Here he was, that damn redhead with his scarred brow and his lively golden eyes, stepping in without a care in the world. Just seeing him was enough to make her murderous aura multiply ten fold. She could almost literally feel her blood boil and her face heat up in anger. And he actually had the nerves to grin at her, oblivious to her mood.

At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to wipe it off his face and, if possible, wipe his entire being from the Earth. But of course, she couldn't. Cursing under her breath, she blamed her bad luck because while being the cause of her present turmoil, he was also her only way out of it.

Why? That's a good question, but let's explain it from the beginning. It all started a week ago...

 _ **Nakiri manor, a week ago, Sunday**_

Erina was enjoying one of her rare free moment in her tight tasting schedule. For once, she had one hour to spare. I know. You'd think one hour is really little time but for Erina, it really was a lot. Lately, things had been piling on her and she could only take a short breath before going to another appointment. Her only 'free time' reduced to the moments she spent in the car getting from one place to another - while being briefed about what she was expected to do - and when she was finally home, she was greeted by a mountain of papers. Desk work. How hateful. But necessary, unfortunately. She hadn't had a minute to herself.

So now that she had time, it was no wonder she didn't want to spend it indoors. Deciding to take some fresh hair, she took off in direction of the gardens, intending to enjoy the silence and calm it provided.

That was without counting Alice in the equation.

As she was turning the corner which granted access to the kiosk in the middle of the gardens, she saw a flash of white and she instantly knew that if she took one more step, she wasn't going to have the peace she longed for. Turning around slowly to avoid attracting attention to herself, she started to make her way back-

 _ **SNAP!**_

-only to step on a branch as her foot touched the ground. Great. Just. Great. Maybe her having free time to relax just wasn't meant to be... But maybe God was on her side for once. Daring to hope that she could still escape, she slowly took a look behind her, and sighed in relief when she found the space empty. Allowing a small smile to make its way to her lips, she faced forward and jumped back in surprise at the sight that greeted her .

There, standing one step away from her and leaning forward so that her face was inches away from hers, was Nakiri Alice, her curious red eyes examining her.

"Don't scare me like that!" Erina reprimanded, her hand flying to her chest as if it could ease her now racing heart. She swore, this girl would be the end of her.

Alice stayed quiet for a while and then nodded, as if satisfied with her examination. "Erina! It's been so long since I last saw you!" she exclaimed, her voice dripping with excitement.

"Yeah, it's been a while." Erina agreed. "I had no free time at all until now after all."

"You poor thing. It must have been hard for you. So you had no time to spend with your crush either..." If her voice had been compassionate at the start of her sentence, it now was downright teasing.

Surprisingly, Erina just sighed and glared at her cousin in annoyance instead of yelling that she was wrong as she had in the past. She was tired. And annoyed. But mostly resigned.

Since some time, Alice had decided that she had a crush on _that_ man and had been teasing her about it at every opportunity she got. At first, she had yelled in indignation, denying it loudly, but now, she was used to it, as sad as this was. So what if her face was getting a little redder every time she saw him? It was obviously because of her temper rising. She just couldn't keep her cool when he was in the immediate vicinity. There was that time at the Autumn Selections in the private seats but it was irrelevant.

Anyway, she couldn't even find it in herself to correct her anymore. This has been going on for way too long in her opinion. But, she had quickly remarked that her opinion on the matter didn't seem to interest Alice in the slightest.

Sighing once again, she looked up to meet her cousin's red eyes with her purple ones.

"Just why do you think that I have a crush on Yukihira-kun of all people?" she asked.

It was as if she activated a button ON because as soon as the question had left her tongue, Alice went into a tirade about how she supposedly stared at him with a longing look (the only thing she longed for was his disappearance from her world...), how she blushed when he was near (that was her rising temper!), how she always made plans to get to see him when he was in a shokugeki (she didn't want to miss the moment where she would finally success in her effort to expel him!), how she smiled so brightly when he came to visit -

Wait. _What_?

 _Rewind_

"... And that time when he came to visit you, you opened the door with such a bright smile! I had never seen you smiling like that before! It was full of anticipation and happiness. Such a wonderful smile, really..." Alice remembered, wiping fake tears from her eyes.

"...!" Erina's shocked silence was the only reply she got that time. She hadn't been aware that someone had seen her at that time - other than him and that journalist. No wonder she was so keen on the idea that she liked him. She was expecting Hisako at that time! So, of course she had been happy! It was all a misunderstanding... But of course, Alice didn't care enough to listen to her explanations. So instead, she asked "Is that why you believe I like him?"

"Yeah! It opened my eyes and then I started to notice all those other little things. I had noticed before but it all made sense when I saw you like that! You must really like him a lot, right?"

"Yeah right." Erina replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes. She didn't know it at that time, but soon, very soon, she'd do anything to take back those words and stop them from ever being said... "Alice, I think we need to talk. Seriously. And please, I beg you, listen to what I have to say..."

With that said, they made their way to the kiosk to discuss. As they were walking, Ryō who had been watching the exchange from the start, caught movement in the bushes. He eyed it suspiciously and was making his way to it when a rabbit suddenly came out of it.

"Ryō! What are you doing? Come here!" Alice's voice pulled him out of his thoughts and he turned to join his lady, lazily answering with an "Hai."

Unbeknownst to them, the person who was hiding in the bushes released the breath they had been holding in relief. They thought it had been over for them when Alice's aide had noticed them. It had been really hard to infiltrate the Nakiri gardens but it was worth it. With that scoop, their journal would relive! They grinned before carefully beginning their journey to go out of the property. _Well, this is going to be hard..._

* * *

 _Well, that's it for chapter 1. If you feel_ _like it, drop a review. Feedback is appreciated :) I'll try to update once a week…_

 _Ja ne_


	2. The ignition

_Hello guys!_

 _Oh my gosh. Thanks to every person who read, followed, favorited, and reviewed! I can't even express how happy I was! I've been on an adrenalin rush for some time after posting it... You guys are really awesome! Also, I'll answer to the reviews at the end of the chapter. :)_

 _I really hope you will enjoy this chapter as well because I really enjoyed writing it. I tried to correct all the grammatical mistakes as well. I tried to find them all but some may have passed through my vigilance. I apologize if there are any._

 _Disclaimer : I don't own Shokugeki no Sōma_

* * *

 **Chapter 2 : The ignition**

* * *

 _ **Monday**_

Erina had been feeling uncomfortable all day long. Never had a Monday been so tiring before. Every time, she moved, she could feel people staring. Usually, she wouldn't mind but today, it was unnerving for some reason. Plus, as soon as she looked at them, they turned away. Under normal circumstances, they would just look at her with dreamy or fearful gazes. But now she could feel that something was different in their looks. She didn't know what but something had changed. And she was going to discover what.

* * *

Erina was regretting her earlier determination to figure out what was wrong. Maybe she would have been better off not knowing. Was there some way to erase memories? ... Please?

Seriously! What was wrong with them?! How could they even believe that -

Wait, scratch that. Alice had been thinking the same up until yesterday.

Well, she wasn't so sure if she had succeeded in convincing her that she wasn't in love with Yukihira-kun but her cousin had at least accepted not to tease her about it 'until she opened her eyes'. Whatever this was supposed to mean. She still remembered asking her what she was talking about since she was really perceptive. But the red-eyed girl had only smiled mysteriously before leaving her alone in the gardens.

And so, what was supposed to be an hour of peace had passed in the blink of the eye with interrogations going on a merry-go-round in her head. So much for her free time.

But anyway, they couldn't possibly know of the facts Alice had exposed the day before, right? At least not the most important one according to her cousin...

So how did they even come up with that conclusion?

 _ ***Flashback***_

 _Erina was hurriedly walking down the halls to get to her car when she heard her name being spoken in a conversation. She instantly_ _stopp_ _ed_ _in her_ _tracks_ _and listened in - Nakiri Erina didn't eavesdrop, she just listened without people knowing she was there. Completely different._

 _Now that this is clear, let's focus on the conversation._

 _"Man, I can't stand this transfer student!" A deep voice said._

 _"Neither can I. If you ask me, he has nothing to do here. He should just go back to wherever he came from!" Another slightly higher voice exclaimed._

 _She couldn't help but nod in agreement to that statement. Even if her chest constricted slightly at the thought of him leaving. Deciding that deciphering this feeling could wait until later, she dismissed it and resumed her eaves- listening. Of course._

 _"But he was a runner-up in the Autumn elections. He's got to have some skills." Another more composed voice interjected._

 _"Whose side are you on? I thought you couldn't forgive him for stealing Erina-sama away?!" The first one exclaimed._

What? Stealing me? _Erina thought. She must have heard that wrong. She_ must _have._

 _"This and that are two different matters. I'm just recognizing he's got some skills. But I still think he's not worthy of Erina-sama's attention. She must be mistaking about her feelings." The third replied._

 _"Yeah right." the first replied sarcastically. "The article was pretty clear about the fact that she was head over heels in love with him!" he elaborated._

 _She was_ what _?! Were those guys crazy?! She wasn't in love with Yukihira! How did they even come up with such a ridiculous idea?!_

 _Wait._

 _They had talked about some kind of article right? ..._

 _As comprehension dawned on her, the air around her darkened and the atmosphere suddenly felt heavy and tense._

 _The boys seemed to sense it because they quickly got away from this dark atmosphere, forgetting all about their argument._

 _Somewhere in a small room, someone shivered._ 'Is the AC too strong? I better be careful. Wouldn't want to catch a cold when we are this busy.' _And with that thought, they resumed scribbling._

 ***** _ **End of flashback***_

That was how it came to this. A bloody article was the cause of this... Who dared to write this... thing... How did they come up with that? She wasn't in love with Yukihira-kun! She didn't even like him... Not that she hated him but he really was a nuisance. But this was beside the point. She wasn't head over heels for him! And whoever had dared to write the contrary will have to pay.

Erina was walking purposefully, surrounded by a murderous aura in direction of the newspaper club room, fully intending to find out the author of this _thing_ until Hisako caught her and reminded her that she still had some tasting to do for some famous restaurant and very little time to get there. Then, she proceeded to drag her - ignoring her complaints - to the car waiting in the parking lot and off they were.

Looks like Erina's revenge would have to wait.

* * *

 _ **Tuesday**_

Was the universe against her?

That's what Nakiri Erina was currently wondering. Maybe she had done something bad in her life. Well, she did some things that could be considered bad by other people like destroying Research Societies to build a new kitchen building for herself or stuff like that, but hey, something useless is something useless. No need to keep it. So really, they just didn't realize that it was for their own good. Yeah.

So, once again, why did God allow _that_ to happen?

This morning, she woke up alright, her trip to school was relatively calm, and she made it to the classroom without any incident. Well, the stares and whisperings were still there but since she was going to crush those false rumors as soon as possible, she paid them no heed. Hisako had told her reacting would only make it worse when she had first snapped at them. So she simply sat in her seat and waited for the professor to arrive while thinking about how she was going to punish the person responsible for all of this mess.

Then the door opened. That's when everything went downhill.

Standing in the doorway was the one she wanted to see the least at that moment - or any other moment really, but that was a given (her increasing heart pace when she saw him had to be a sign that this guy wasn't good for her health) - with his infuriating grin and flaming red hair. And to make matters worse, he locked eyes with her.

Great. This was probably one of the few classes she had in common with him. With this rumor and all, she really wanted to keep her distance from him. Even more than before.

But apparently, he had something else in mind. Grinning even more, he walked purposefully towards her and she just knew she wasn't going to like what was going to happen next. She should have stayed home.

"Yo Nakiri!" he said with this stupid grin on his face "I didn't know you liked me that much..." Sōma said with the air of someone flattered surrounding him as his index finger made its way to the tip of his nose and started to rub it. "But you could have told me directly, you know. Though I admire you for proclaiming it to the whole school."

"..." Erina goggled at him, speechless. Seriously, what kind of crap was he spluttering?! How could he even believe this bloody article full of trash... He should have known her enough not to believe this kind of shit. And what was this flattered look for, anyway? Was this guy even sane? Not that she doubted that he was not - he had to be insane to dare go up against her after all - but, seriously?

"You know, I already knew you liked me. Though I didn't think it was that much." Sōma stated, grinning sheepishly.

She couldn't do anything but stare with disbelief written all over her face. But either he didn't look at her properly or he just ignored it because he continued to blabber nonsense.

She could hear the whispers again. _Are they going to date now?_ and _Is he that dense not to notice it before? She has loved him for such a long time..._ Deciding that she no longer wanted to endure this foolishness, she grabbed his wrist and dragged him out of the classroom with her. He started to inquire about her sudden action but she shut him up with a glare that promised pain if he uttered another word.

They passed the professor on their way out and the man fully intended to stop them but after seeing the look on her face, he thought better of it and decided to let it slide.

* * *

After rounding one last corner, they finally arrived in the safety of her office - it really was her grandfather's but she had been given permission to use it however she liked when he wasn't there, which happened to be the case right now. He had left on an errand this morning and announced he'd be back the day after. So his office was free for her to use.

But this was beside the line. What mattered right now was deciding what she was going to do with this guy now. She had prevented him from saying any more nonsense by taking him away but this didn't resolve her problem. Actually, it might have worsened the situation.

Locking the door behind them, she let go of him and plopped down on a chair before starting to rub her temples. All of this was starting to give her a headache. This definitely wasn't good for her health she decided as she closed her eyes.

After a little while, she started to feel better. Thankfully, this _idiot_ had been quiet for once. Which wasn't really a good sign actually. This guy just couldn't stay silent. Usually, he would have tried to start a conversation by now. Just what was he doing?

Cracking her eyes open, she threw a look around the room.

Oh, there he was. Admiring the view from the window behind the grand wooden desk. Keeping her eyes on him, she vaguely wondered what was so fascinating about it but then again, even if he explained it to her, there was a high chance she wouldn't get his reasoning as always. This guy was just that weird.

As if he had sensed her gaze, Sōma turned towards her and grinned brightly.

"The view is just awesome Nakiri!" he declared enthusiastically.

 _ **Badump**_

 _Badump?_ Erina thought confused for a second.

But she rapidly dismissed it. The fact was that he was the one responsible for all of this mess. If he had never entered Tōtsuki and defied her, she wouldn't have tried so hard to expel him and then people wouldn't have misunderstood her!

Her temper rose with this thought and her heartbeat accelerated. She could even feel her face heating up.

And the guy actually had the nerve to ask "Huh? Your face is really red you know... Are you okay?"

The sound of something snapping could be heard as Erina's eye twitched.

"Am I okay?... You're seriously asking me if I'm okay...?! Of course I'm not! Someone actually published an article about how I'm supposedly head over heels for you and here you are asking me if I'm okay?! And the worst is that you actually had to go and say all this crap this morning! Are _you_ okay in the head? Do you ever even _think_ before doing something? How could you even believe what that article said?! Heck, how did you even hear about it?!"

Immune to her mood swings by now, Sōma didn't even flinch during her explosion. He just had a blank face when he answered calmly "The girls were talking about it this morning while reading the newspaper. And I read it over their shoulders." Then, bringing his hand to his chin, he took a pensive stance "Speaking about it, they didn't seem all that happy... Tadokoro seemed to be on the verge of crying and Yoshino and Sakaki were trying to cheer her up about something..."

 _This guy is an idiot._

Not that this was anything new - she had known this fact since their first meeting - but still...

Momentarily forgetting her anger, Erina felt sorry for Megumi. Only this idiot had yet to notice that the poor girl was in love with him. Everyone who had seen the two interact knew but this guy was completely oblivious to her feelings... This was really pitiful...

"But I can't understand why she was so distressed over an article about you liking me..." Sōma finished, cocking his head slightly to the side.

All the pity she previously felt flew out the window as annoyance took its rightful place once again. This guy really had a talent for infuriating her with minimal efforts.

"Stop talking about that already. All of this is just a big misunderstanding. They just wrote whatever they wanted." Erina stated sternly. "Which reminds me that I still have to find this poor excuse of a journalist and actually read this article..." she mumbled to herself.

She had been so busy that she hadn't had the chance to yet... Yeah, it's kinda hard to believe but well. In fact, all she knew about it was what she had learned from the boys' conversation the day before. But it was enough to put her in this mood. Seriously. Her? Head over heels for Yukihira-kun? They had to be delirious. And really not attached to life to dare publish that. And she'll help them get sane again or get in a place where they won't ever need to go out of their delirium again... Erina thought as an evil grin spread onto her lips.

"Nakiri, I'm going back. You coming?" Sōma asked suddenly enthusiastic.

Looking at him, she was slightly taken aback by the sight greeting her. All his previous seriousness seemed to be a lie now. He was practically glowing with excitement and could barely stay still, as he clutched his phone in his right hand. Probably a text. Raising a well-defined eyebrow at him, she vaguely wondered what could get him in this mood but soon decided she didn't want to know. She just couldn't get him anyway so why bother. This man was a mystery...

Not bothering to answer, she made her way to the door with him in tow. Unlocking the door, she stepped out of the office and waited for him to step out as well. Once she made sure the door was locked, they started making their way back to their class.

Upon entering, Erina briefly told the teacher she had had to discuss an urgent matter with Yukihira-kun and took her seat when he nodded without waiting for a verbal answer. When she looked at the board to see what the assignment was about, one word caught her attention. Squid. No wonder he was in such a hurry... She thought as she threw a glance over her shoulder. But she had better things to do than think about this lad who was already talking with his fellow dorm mates animatedly.

And so, she resumed reading the assignment. The sooner she was out, the sooner she'd be able to fulfill her duties and the sooner she'd be free to look for the culprit. And actually read this infamous article.

* * *

Hisako was actually starting to worry.

Erina was shaking quite violently as she read the newspaper. She had it in a death grip and if it could talk she didn't doubt it'd be crying for mercy right now. A little more and the pages would surely be torn. Not that Erina seemed to care.

Maybe she shouldn't have given her this newspaper after all, she thought as Erina stomped angrily towards her room, retiring for the night. If fury had a face, it would be hers... And she hadn't even told her about the newest rumor yet... Hisako thought as she glanced at the corner of the newspaper sticking out from the trash can. It almost seemed relieved now...

Tomorrow. She'd tell her tomorrow.

* * *

Dear grandfather, I hope you'll find it in yourself to forgive me for not having a behavior fit of the Nakiri household and actually come visit me when I'll be behind bars. I'm going to kill someone.

* * *

 _And cut!_

 _I hope you enjoyed it. :)_ _In next chapter, I will write this infamous article. I'll try to update next week though it will depend on my inspiration. I already have it pretty much set up in my head but I still have to write my ideas down._

 _Anyway, thanks for reading! :D_

 ** _Answers to reviews :_**

 **Guest :** My bad. I made sure to correct it. :)

 **Theblackbird123 :** I'm glad you liked it :) Hope this was fast enough. Thanks for the review!

 **Justinsj5 :** I hope this chapter was to your liking as well ;) Thanks for reviewing

 **Exercariver :** Thank you so much for your review :D I hope you liked this chapter as well. Thanks again!

 **| Hypocrisy | :** Hey! Thank you sooo much for the review. She sure will XD Sōma is just like a trouble-magnet XD Trouble rise all around him and he's always caught in the middle of it all. I hope the wait was worth it ;) Feels like we switched roles XD

 **Japonis :** Thanks for the review! Hope you enjoyed it :)

 **Skyyy209 :** I hope you liked this development. Thanks for reviewing :D

 **raydark182 :** Thank you! I just love Sōma x Erina. I can't really picture him with anyone else. Though, everyone's free to like another pairing better. I hope you enjoyed it :D Thanks for the review!

 **Eramis8 :** More denial coming up next chapter! This one was to set the... setting lol. Thanks for reviewing :D

 **Sorina :** I can't say this one was that cute but well. Maybe it was? Lol XD Anyway, Thanks for the review!

 _Till next week! (Hopefully)_

 _Ja ne_


	3. Hellish fire

_Hello guys!_

 _Thank you to all of those who favorited, followed and reviewed :D Like last time, answers to the reviews at the end of the chapter. And I've never written a newspaper article before so it might not be how it's done but let's say it is just for this fic._

 _I really enjoyed writing it so I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as well :)_

 _Disclaimer: I don't own Shokugeki no Sōma._

* * *

 **Chapter 3 : Hellish fire**

* * *

 _ **Wednesday**_

That morning, Erina actually had the time to be lazily eating breakfast and so she decided that she would take her time. Usually, she'd be in a hurry and wouldn't really have the time to enjoy her food. She could cook better than that but well. Eating something you didn't make yourself was part of the luxury of having a chef. And since it was a chef approved by the Nakiri household, he was really good and really close to perfection. So she didn't mind eating his food when she had time - which happened to be the case right now.

Today's breakfast menu was French. On the table were lined different types of pastries - just out of the oven - such as croissant, _pain au chocolat_ , _pain au raisin_ , and _chausson_ _aux pommes_ , some toasts with either jam or butter and hot chocolate.

It smelled wonderful and she couldn't wait to indulge in it.

"Erinaaaaaaa...!"

 _Looks like breakfast will have to wait..._ Erina thought as she closed her eyes in apprehension of what was to come.

When she opened them again, surely, her white-haired cousin was standing before her, pouting at her as she always did when she thought that Erina was being cold or when Erina hadn't told her something that she thought she should have.

"Why didn't you tell me...?!"

Looks like it was the second option. Sighing at her cousin's antics, she asked tiredly "What was I supposed to tell you this time?"

"Mou... As if you didn't know." Alice reprimanded. "You got yourself a boyfriend and you didn't tell me!"

At that precise moment, Erina was thankful she had delayed taking her breakfast because she was pretty sure she would have choked on it.

"... _Excuse_ _me_?"

"Don't play innocent. Someone saw you two holding hands yesterday."

Erina's eyes widened slightly at that. She hadn't been aware that someone was there. It was in the middle of class after all... That said, she had guessed people would start spreading a rumor about them dating soon so it wasn't that surprising even if she still didn't like it one bit.

Truthfully, she had somehow managed to convince herself that all of this was just a big nightmare but now, she was brought back to reality rather violently... No thanks to Alice. She just _had_ to come and remind her that all of this really happened.

"Plus, it seems you're already being all intimate... And in grandpa's office!" Alice added feigning indignation. "The days when you were reluctant to hold hands with a guy seem so far away now... Time really flies, doesn't it?" she continued as she seemed to get lost in her memories.

But Erina had long stopped listening.

She was being _intimate_? Her? As in Nakiri Erina? Doing things like k-ki-kiss-kissing...?! What the heck?! She could barely think about this word without blushing! She was pretty sure her face was red right now...

Wait. Just a second.

She had said office, right? Grandfather's office. Which meant that the one she was supposedly being all intimate with was -

 _ **BOOM**_

Hisako jumped.

She looked around her frantically expecting smoke but she couldn't see any. Weird. This sound reminded her of a bomb exploding when touching the ground... But she couldn't see anything.

Shrugging, she resumed walking.

Before joining Erina for breakfast, she had had some things to take care of like her schedule for the rest of the week. She had rearranged it so that next week Erina would have a lesser burden. She could see that her friend was getting tired and so she had decided to do something about it. Plus, with everything that was going on lately Erina really needed a break.

Feeling really proud of herself for being able to give her the rest she needed, Hisako neared the dining room, humming to herself.

When she actually stepped into the room, she instantly wished she hadn't. As she stood frozen, she slowly took in the sight in front of her.

Alice was standing there next to the table, seemingly lost in thoughts and momentarily oblivious to her immediate surroundings. In front of her Erina was seating, her head low as her breakfast laid untouched. Her bangs were hiding her face so she couldn't really see it but judging by the aura that she was releasing, she had no problem imagining it... Oh, and she had found the smoke. It seemed to be steadily escaping from Erina's ears.

Coming to a decision, she swiftly turned around to step out. She had guessed what had transpired and she didn't want to be there. Since her head was down, there was still a chance Erina hadn't seen her yet.

"... Hisako?"

 _Eeeeek!_ The purple-haired teen shrieked internally as she froze in her step, not daring to look back. She was too late. Apparently, Erina had already seen her and judging by the tone of her voice, her fears were coming true. Maybe she shouldn't have waited after all...

"... Don't you have anything to tell me...?" Erina's voice came, low and ominous.

... _I hate you Milady Alice._

* * *

 _ **Tōtsuki's princess in love?!**_

 _Dear bachelors, I'm afraid that the beautiful, cold, and unattainable princess is no longer that unattainable. Or rather she's even more unattainable now... Except for the lucky guy who is the object of her affection!_

 _He's known by all of us be it in middle school, or in high school. He made a rather spectacular arrival and has been involved in many shokugekis ever since! Plus he was part of the Autumn Elections! He even ended up close to the top as a runner up!_

 _Yes, you probably guessed it by now, the lucky guy is none other than Yukihira Sōma!_

 _Who would have thought that the always so cold princess would fall for the arrogant transfer student? Or maybe we just misconstrued her actions all of this time..._

 _In the light of this discovery, it seems that our princess is quite the Tsundere... Always proclaiming her annoyance towards the boy, was it actually a way to express her love? It certainly looks like it._

 _Yours truly actually caught a conversation about the lad between the princess and her dear cousin and to the question "...You must really like him a lot right?", the princess actually answered "Yeah". If that's not a confession then I don't know what is._

 _So I'm sorry to announce it to all of you guys who are dreaming of dating her but it won't happen anytime soon. The princess is way too enamored of the scared eyebrow troublemaker or, dare I say, completely head over heels for him._

 _Now, as most of you probably do by now, I wonder about the future of this love. Does the redhead reciprocate her feelings? It's really hard to say. The guy is really hard to read but judging by his reactions to her, we can suppose he's not averse to the idea._

 _Let's cheer for her love! ... Is what I'd like to say but knowing my fellow comrades, it's the last thing they'd want to do. So let's see how our princess's love will go!_

 _And for the girls who are more or less secretly after the red head, beware! One powerful rival has made her apparition! And she will probably do everything it takes to win his affection._

* * *

As Kosori Isato read his article over once again, he couldn't help but smirk. This article had shaken the whole academy and his club was alive once again! It had been hard to get on the Nakiri private grounds but it was totally worth it.

So what if he had stretched the truth a little bit? He had fulfilled his mission of reviving his journal and now that it was done, he'd just have to keep up the good work.

Although, there was one thing troubling him.

With such an article, he had expected Nakiri Erina to storm into the club room a long time ago but she had yet to show up... Maybe she was too embarrassed to come out... If so, it was good for him. He had been fully prepared to face the consequences of his actions but if they never came then it was even better! Anyway, he would have to leave Japan soon so... before long, she wouldn't be able to reach him.

As a small laugh escaped his lips, he pushed the club room door open. After closing the door behind him, he froze.

A cold shiver ran down his spine as he could feel a murderous aura coming from behind.

He slowly turned around.

He didn't remember them having a seat with a back that wide and high but here it was. He couldn't even see the person seating, facing the other way, but frankly, he wasn't so sure he wanted to. They were releasing such a dark aura that he was starting to sweat...

As they turned around, he was half-expecting to see the person seating there. Nakiri Erina. And she looked like she was out for blood...

Looks like he'd have to take back his words. He wouldn't escape her fury...

But maybe he still could... Turning around in a desperate attempt to escape his fate, he latched on the doorknob only to find out that the door had been locked.

His eyes widened in surprise - _When... -_ before a flash of purple caught his eye. Turning towards it, he discovered Nakiri Erina's aide. He hadn't even seen her in the room! _When did she -_

He froze in shock when she smirked coldly at him as if reading his thoughts. She presented a sheet of paper to her boss and placed herself behind her. Somehow, it made her lady look even more intimidating.

"So, _you_ are the one who _dared_ to publish this _thing_..." Erina's voice was so dark, ominous and frightening that Isato shivered and broke into a cold sweat. "Moreover, you _trespassed_ on a private property, _eavesdropped_ on a private conversation and _distorted_ its meaning to meet your purpose... _Are you ready to face your punishment?_ " It felt as if she was sentencing him to death. Each word was heavier than the last and her mood seemed to darken more and more. By the time she finished talking, her voice was void of emotion and dripped of death intent. Her voice alone was enough to make his knees fail and he struggled to keep standing.

"S-so what? Y-you think punishing me is gonna stop those rumors? It's only going to boost them! I can already see the headlines 'In her embarrassment and anger of having her feelings brought into the light, the princess punished the journalist responsible for it'." He finished laughing, showing much more confidence than he felt.

If it was possible, the princess's aura became even more deadly and dark. Her aide seemed to have thought of something since she leaned in to whisper something in her ear with a malicious and pitiful glint in her eyes.

This couldn't be good.

When she leaned back, a cruel and evil smirk spread onto the honey-haired girl's face as she looked at him with a look so full of sadistic pleasure and loathing that he recoiled in fear.

At that precise moment, he fully understood the meaning of digging one's own grave.

* * *

Standing in front of the Polar dormitory, Isato was sighing in relief.

If that was what she considered a punishment then he had been a fool for fearing it. It was more of an honor than a punishment.

Feeling alive again, he lifted his right hand and knocked on the door to make his presence known. He heard steps hurrying to the door and soon enough he found himself face to face with a grinning Sōma.

"Oh~ You're here already! Come in, come in! Welcome to the Polar Star dorm!"

Nodding in greeting, he came inside as he took in the sight before him. From the outside, it looked a little scary but now that he was in, it really was a normal and beautiful building. He could see the stairs leading up and the grand table - which he supposed was where they all assembled to eat.

As he walked even further in, he felt that something was off but he just couldn't pinpoint what... His musings were interrupted by his host.

"Now, now, come this way! Take a seat at the table." Sōma offered, indicating one with his index finger.

Nodding, Isato took the above-mentioned seat and waited. He jumped when he felt restraints being put around his ankles and wrists. He threw a frightened look at the redhead before relaxing at his answer.

"Arato told me to tie you up. Something about you liking it better this way." Sōma explained, shrugging before making his way to the kitchen.

Of course. He should have seen it coming. Though, he had to wonder about her night activities... Those were pure black leather restraints. And they seemed to have been used before...

Coming out of his thoughts, he focused his attention on the young chef. He seemed to be grilling something. The sound that it made seemed to fill the whole place.

Suddenly, his eyes widened in realization. That was it! The silence! He had heard that the Polar dorm was pretty lively and full of weird residents but he hadn't heard nor seen anyone except Yukihira.

Overcome by a bad feeling, he decided to interrogate his host.

"Yukihira-san?"

"Hmm?" Sōma hummed in acknowledgment without looking behind.

"... Wh-where are your dorm mates?" Isato asked, his voice imperceptibly shaking.

"Hmm... Well, I don't really know. When I said I was going to cook, they all suddenly remembered that they had stuff to do and left abruptly... It's a pity if you ask me. They won't be able to try my dishes." Sōma answered, his voice dropping a little. "But, oh well, you'll have more to taste!" he finished brightly.

Isato could feel sweat pearl on his skin as he finally realized that the chef was surrounded by a strange aura. His bad feeling grew even stronger as a sweat drop slowly slid on his cheek.

"Wha-what are you cooking?" he managed to get out unsurely.

Sōma chuckled at the question. "Curious aren't we?" he chuckled some more before answering. "I'm preparing Yukihira's top ten. I'd like you to judge pops's and my dishes and determine the dish which deserves to be at the top. I'd like an objective point of view."

Even with that explanation, Isato couldn't completely relax. All of his alarms were going off and he stayed on his guard.

When the red head finally finished, he turned around with an enormous grin on his face. It had been a while since he had last smiled like this. But even then, there was something in this smile that just seemed to scream about imminent danger.

He took a... squid tentacle dripping with some kind of jam? Orange jam?... from the container he was holding and approached him while presenting it to him as a dark aura seemed to be emitted from him...

... It couldn't be bad right? H-he was a runner-up in the Autumn Elections after all... So why was he getting afraid for...? He wondered as his sweat glands worked actively.

Reluctantly, he slowly opened his mouth and let himself be fed.

 _What the...? There were squid tentacles chasing him! He tried to run away from them desperately but they seemed to be gaining on him! Noooo! He couldn't let himself be caught like this! He couldn't end like this! He still had so many things to experience! Nooooo! One tentacle caught his ankle! In a fraction of second, they totally engulfed him and were all over him...! No! Nooo!_

"Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"

* * *

His scream pierced the air and could be heard in every corner of Tōtsuki tea ceremony and cooking academy's grounds.

Somewhere in the forest surrounding the dorm, the fleeing female dorm residents winced at the intensity of the scream. They mentally apologized and almost felt guilty but... they still valued their lives...

Even farther away, in the Nakiri manor, a honey blonde girl had a satisfied sadistic smile spreading on her lips while her pink-haired aide flinched. The latter almost felt remorseful but she knew it had to be done in order to bring some peace of mind to her friend and boss...

* * *

Back to the dorm, Isato was slowly coming back to his senses. He was still quite shaken by... He couldn't even finish his thought as strong shivers ran all over his body.

When he focused once again on his surroundings, he saw Sōma already holding out another dish for him to taste... This time, it was... grilled sardines with strawberry jam?... It couldn't be as bad as the squid... right?

"This one is pops's. Tell me which one is better." the redhead commented with an almost evil grin.

Isato swore he had grown horns and a pointy tail... On second thought, he didn't want to try it.

He leaned back as much as he could and the scratching sounds that the chair made as it scraped the ground filled the room.

As he turned his head away from this Devil and towards the table, he noticed more containers lying there and his eyes widened when he remarked that most of them contained squid tentacles swimming in diverse kinds of liquid and semi-solid substances like peanut butter and honey.

He redoubled in his attempts to get away but the restraints were totally getting in the way! Now he understood the meaning behind their presence... They were just like chains preventing him from escaping from this living hell...

Giving his attention back to the sadistic chef, he remarked that he was quickly getting closer.

"No, don't come any closer! Stay away from me! No! Nooo!" he exclaimed before Sōma popped the sardines into his mouth.

A second piercing and just as powerful - if not more - scream could be heard once again.

* * *

 _ **Thursday**_

That morning, all that people could talk about were the horrible screams they had heard the day before. They had chilled them all to the bones... And the fact that Kosori Isato had been taken away that night was adding to the speculations. Was it him who had been screaming? Most of them would bet it was...

Some people had seen him being taken away and they related that he seemed to have suffered a great mental trauma. He didn't stop muttering things about squids, sardines, living hell and the Devil as he clutched his knees and rolled back and forth in a corner of the car sent by the nearest psychiatric institute. His eyes were unfocused and he seemed to be oblivious to his surroundings...

That subject was the heart of all of the conversations and Erina's love life was forgotten in favor of the latest news pleasing Erina to no end. And he had said that the rumors wouldn't die down if he disappeared... Looks like he was wrong.

Or not.

During lunch break, someone actually linked Kosori with the article and shared this observation with their friends.

That's when all hell broke loose.

They started wondering about the reason behind his trauma and the person responsible for it. And someone conjectured about Erina being the one behind it since they saw her exiting the newspaper club room the day before.

And the fire revived, even stronger than before.

In an instant, Erina's love life was once again on everyone's lips and Erina's mood went downhill once again. It was even worse than before... Now they were all speculating about why she had felt the need to silence him... Revenge? Anger at being exposed like that? So everything was true? They couldn't be sure because the princess was intent on denying it all but that could be explained by her tsundere nature...

Those who had been hesitating about whether they should believe that she was in love with Yukihira Sōma or not were now convinced of the veracity of this article.

All of those facts explained Erina's irritation that night. The rumors weren't dying down at all... Worse, they had actually amplified... She hadn't wanted to believe that nerdy looking journalist but she had to admit that he had been right. The only thing that was brightening her mood was that he had been punished for his audacity.

She was trying to think of a way to resolve this issue in her office - it really was hers this time - located inside the Nakiri manor when the door opened. The blonde lifted her gaze to discover her white-haired cousin inviting herself in.

Tiredly, she asked "What is it Alice?"

"Why, aren't you happy to see me." Alice stated sarcastically.

Erina sent her a flat glare before sighing. "If you just came to annoy me then you can leave. I'm not in the mood to entertain you." She had succeeded - at least she hoped that she had - in convincing her that all of those were just rumors and that she hadn't done what she thought she had in grandfather's office by recounting her side of the story the day before but it hadn't helped in improving her mood.

The red-eyed beauty put on a hurt expression as she shook her head dramatically.

"And here I was bringing some good news..." she said.

Knowing that she had the blonde's attention, she discreetly peeked at her with a small smirk before putting on a show of depressingly making her way to the door.

"Alice, wait."

Her cousin stopped without looking back. Erina knew what she wanted and under other circumstances she wouldn't have caved in but...

She sighed.

"I'm always happy to see you. I had a bad day and I'm sorry for taking it out on you." Alice peeked at her expectantly and Erina sighed once again. "And I really want to hear what you have to say. So please, let me hear it?"

Alice turned around, smiling brightly. "If you ask like that."

Typical. But well, Erina was feeling a little bad about her attitude so... she acceded to her wishes this time. Plus, she kinda liked to see her cousin smiling and having fun - not that she would admit it. But this wasn't the subject.

"I might have a solution to your problem."

Erina perked up.

"Really?!"

"Yeah! Do you want to hear it?" Alice asked, making the suspense last a little longer.

"Aliiiiiice..." Erina pressed.

"Okay, okay! Here I go..."

And as Alice exposed her plan, Erina's eyes grew wider with each word. When she finished, the blonde actually started to laugh. A full blown out laugh.

"You can't be serious." she managed to get out between spasms. "This was a really good joke. Now, please tell me your real plan." she finished, all humor forgotten.

But Alice just looked at her, smiling conspiratorially as she crossed her arms.

Erina smiled and let out a small uncomfortable laugh "Please. Tell me you were joking."

Even so, Alice didn't move. She actually smiled a little bit wider.

"Stop that Alice. It's not funny." The lack of reaction from Alice made her back away a little.

 _ **Ding dong**_

Red eyes flew to the manor front door - which was visible from Erina's office - as white teeth flashed from behind plumped lips.

"Alice?" she asked in alarm as her eyes gained a dreadful glint.

The white-haired teen slowly approached her cousin as the latter backed away in a corner, shaking her head repeatedly in horror.

Alice smiled, trying to be reassuring (she failed because of the slightly evil glint which was betraying her) "You'll see, it will go well..." she declared with a Cheshire cat-like smile.

* * *

 _End of chapter 3 ;)_

 _So... Yeah, I was a little sadist with Isato... But well. Can't be helped XD Worst is I was totally laughing while writing that scene XD_

 _*coughs*_

 _Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it :D_

 _Let's proceed to the **answers to the reviews:**_

 **soul puker:** Glad you enjoyed it :D I had a lot of fun writing this one as well so I hope you had fun reading it :)

 **Hinate:** I am a Sorina fan myself ;) Thank you :D I hope you enjoyed this chapter too :)

 **raydark182:** Thank you so much :D I'll keep that in mind XD It does involve food after all. Though I had Soma cook in this one XD Thanks again and I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)

 **hongwang767:** That was for sure XD Though she didn't exactly kill him in the end I think it was close enough XD Thank you so much! I didn't know about Grammarly. It helped a lot! ;)

 **Justinsj5:** Thanks :) Well, no Sorina moments in this chapter but there wil be more in next chapter! ;) I'm always worried about them being OOC so thank you very much :D I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)

 **Eramis8:** Yeah XD But well, it's more fun this way ;) I have to admit that I didn't get what you meant about chapter 151 even after rereading it... That said, did you read chapter 152? It was awesome :D Anyway, thanks for the review :)

 **Sorina:** Thank you :D Well, it seemed to be the right thing to do XD Sometimes other POV are better. Glad that you liked it :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well :)

 **TheBaka14:** I'm glad that you liked it :) Thanks for the review :D

 **ChaosFox60:** Thank you :D Well I actually wonder about that too XD But don't worry, I like Megumi as well though not paired up with Soma. I like Erina more too. But I have some plans for Megumi as well. Though I guess they're not all that happy... But I'll stop there. Wouldn't want to spoil the fun XD Anyway, thanks for the review :D

 **| Hypocrisy |:** Thank you :D Yeah, I loved writing that part as well :) Yeah, I don't know what she was thinking XD If she thought about the consequences at all XD I wonder about that too XD I still have to get to that part... But I'm sure that she won't like it ;) As for Sōma, well, he certainly seems like he doesn't get it at all... That or he just doesn't really care about what people say (yes, that's a little weird for me to say since I'm writing about him but well, it's Sōma XD ) It was one of my favorite parts as well ;) Thanks Hypocrisy ;D

 **KairuG:** Tell her that XD Lol. Thanks for the review :)

 _Till next week :) Ja ne_


	4. Pour oil on the fire

_Hello guys!_

 _Sorry for the wait. I had trouble finding time to write last week... But anyway, here's chapter 4 :D_ _I hope you'll like it :)_

 _Thanks for the reviews! I had a lot of fun reading them :D Thanks for favoriting and following this story as well. :) Answers to the reviews at the end of the chapter._

* * *

 **Chapter 4 : Pour oil on the fire**

* * *

 _ **Friday**_

 _ **Ding dong**_

"She's coming!" Alice shouted before turning towards Erina. "Come on, you can't keep him waiting forever!"

"If only I could..." Erina muttered quietly.

Not quietly enough it seems because Alice glared at her as she placed her fists on her hips disapprovingly.

"Don't look at me like that!" Erina exclaimed resentfully. "And did I mention that I hate you?"

"I know that you don't mean that." Alice mumbled dejectedly as her lip trembled and her shoulders drooped.

And now, Erina was feeling bad. She hadn't meant to sadden her cousin... She knew that she only did that for her but... Seriously! What kind of plan was that?!

* * *

 _ **The night before**_

"Ryō!"

"Milady Alice." Ryō answered, appearing out of nowhere. _(What was that with those aides appearing out of thin air...)_

"Escort our guest up here please." Alice said with a malicious grin.

"As you wish." Ryō replied before leaving the office to bring out his task.

After following Ryō's disappearing figure dreadfully, purple eyes flew back to the white-haired teen. The latter rolled her eyes at her cousin's reaction.

"Stop that Erina. That's so not like you. And you can't let our guest see you like that." Alice reprimanded.

"Whose fault do you think it is?!" Erina exclaimed in indignation.

Alice rolled her eyes once again. "You're overreacting. It's not that bad. It could have been worse."

"How?!" Erina asked.

"Well..." Alice started unsure of what to say, "You could have been rumored to be married to him...?" she proposed.

Erina sent a flat glare her way. "... It's not funny."

"Joke aside, it really could have been worse. It could have been someone else, someone you would have hated to be paired up with."

"... How is that any different from the present situation? ..."

"..." Alice couldn't find anything to reply to this one. It's true that she didn't really like being paired up with Yukihira. "But you don't hate him right?"

"..." It was Erina's turn to be at a loss for words. No, she didn't hate him. But, she didn't want to admit it... It was like giving reason to her cousin - and okay, she wouldn't have minded doing just that under other circumstances but right now...

Unfortunately for her, Alice knew her enough to understand her silence. "See?"

Erina sent her a frustrated look before sighing in resignation.

"But seriously, is that really the only way?" she asked, not being able to suppress the hopefulness from her voice.

"Well, you could let the rumors die down on their own but that would really take a lot of time... It's the fastest way." Alice replied compassionately for once.

Erina was unable to keep her disappointment from showing in her posture. She had hoped... She had really hoped that she'd be able to escape it... But no. She would really have to -

"Hey Nakiris!" a familiar voice exclaimed in greeting.

\- date him. Her nemesis. Yukihira Sōma. The one she had been trying to make disappear from the academy ever since he transferred. The one who was always making her lose control over her emotions, and the one who was always oblivious to what was happening around him. Like right now.

"Your office is really great Nakiri number 1!" Sōma exclaimed as he looked around whistling.

A vein pulsed on Erina's temple. "Who are you calling number 1?! - not that I hate being called number one but not under those circumstances... And I already told you not to call us Nakiris!"

"Hai, hai." Sōma replied, unrepentant.

Alice shook her head as she watched the two bickering - though, her cousin really was the only one getting worked up. "Now, now, calm down Erina. Think about the reason for his presence here." she reprimanded.

Erina shot her a heated glare before sighing. After a few deep breathes, she managed to calm down. Lifting her gaze to the man in front of him, she stared at him for a long while before abruptly turning around and trying to make it to the door only to realize that she had been locked in. Briefly looking around, she realized that they were now the only ones in there.

 _Alice..._ she thought darkly. Then her gaze flew back to the door, staring at it so intensely that she could have burned holes in it. Her cousin's voice came from behind it as she informed her that she'd come back to open it in an hour or so, before she heard fading footsteps.

"Looks like we're the only ones left in there huh." Sōma remarked, pointing out the obvious before resuming looking around.

 _No shit Sherlock..._ Erina thought. She would have said it aloud but she bit it back. This wasn't how she was going to have him accept her request. But then again maybe it would be good if he didn't. Yeah, this way she could avoid this. Right! This was a good idea!

Those thoughts brought a happy smile on her face before it slowly faded away.

No. She couldn't afford that. She just couldn't have him refuse. If he did, she would have to endure this situation for a really long time. People whispering and speculating about their relationship, crying over her so-called choice, trying to reason her or even worse, trying to encourage her to confess to him...

Wait.

That would happen if she dated him anyway. So why bother? The more she thought about it, the less this plan made sense. Alice must have made a mistake there... _But_ she had said something about it taking less time...

Erina was getting confused here. So she tried to remember her cousin's plan in detail.

Keyword : _tried_. She was about to start when something touched her back.

Erina barely bit back the scream that wanted to escape her mouth and slowly turned around to discover her nemesis leaning forward as if in the middle of an experience. And she was his subject.

Just what was wrong with this guy...?! He had almost scared her to death! And okay, under other circumstances she probably wouldn't have reacted like that but she had been totally engrossed in her thoughts... Who, in their right mind, would poke someone when they're lost in their thoughts?!

...

Right. Coming from him, she really should have expected something like that...

"Oh, you're back." Sōma remarked grinning when she finally looked at him square in the eye. "I wanted to say thanks but you weren't answering."

"Thanks?" Erina asked, confused. "What for?"

"The taster you sent me!" Sōma replied with a grin.

"...Right." Erina said, sweat dropping.

"But he wasn't really useful... He didn't talk a lot." Sōma stated as he crossed his arms. "So I had to measure the dishes' ranking by the intensity of his screams... But I couldn't be so sure about his first choice. And when I tried to look for him in the evening, they told me he had left Tōtsuki. Do you know where he went?"

"..." Erina was at a loss for words. She was actually hesitating between answering truthfully or not answering at all. She chose the latter. "I'm not your information box."

Sōma gave her a blank stare, letting his left arm fall to his side and pocketing his right hand, before speaking once again. "I can rarely have a conversation with you. I remember now. But you were more than willing to give me information for the festival."

"That was different!" she exclaimed flushing. "And I told you to forget about that."

"Yeah but I had no reason to do that." he replied with one of his infuriating grins. "Plus it was really useful information."

Erina was about to throw a snarky remark his way when she remembered Alice's last words before she left the room. Right. Snapping at him wouldn't help her. At all. So instead, she took deep breaths to calm down. She couldn't let her temper get the better of her.

"Let's stop talking about that. There's a reason why you were called here."

"Oh yeah. I was wondering about that too." Sōma declared before looking curiously at his host.

Erina's mouth opened to start talking but no words left her lips. So she closed it before trying - and failing - once again. _I can't do it. Get me out of there! Hisako!_ Erina thought as she turned towards the door.

As if responding to her thoughts, she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. Taking a look at it Alice's name flashed. Unlocking it, she read the message she had received : _'Don't you dare back down Erina! You have to do it! Or maybe you want to endure for... months or maybe even years...'_

Erina froze as she imagined it for a second. A shiver ran down her spine. She didn't want that. Those past four days had been really horrible and it was just _four days_. _..._ So she'd better go for it. It would be hell for some time but then she'd be able to control the duration of this period. ...right? She would be able to do it... Probably. Certainly. She was Nakiri Erina after all!

After taking a deep breath, she faced Sōma once again only to discover him staring at her intensely. She felt herself getting uncomfortable under his gaze.

Unable to hold his gaze any longer, Erina suddenly felt a great interest in the golden pattern on her red carpet. She had never noticed before but it was representing beautiful roses. Fitting for a princess such as herself.

Feeling her confidence rise once again, she let her eyes fall back on Sōma only to back away in horror as her eyes widened.

"Wh-when did you get that out?" Erina stuttered - she would deny it if asked later - as she leaned against the door.

Looking up from the container he was holding, Sōma answered innocently.

"That?" he asked, lifting the container a little to designate it. At her nod, he continued. "Oh, just now actually. I was wondering if you'd give it a taste for me. I wanted another advice. According to Kosori, it was the best of all but I can't be so sure so can you try it?"

The more he talked, the more horrified Erina's purple eyes were becoming. If it was the best then you were supposed to understand the worse...

"Hell no! Get this thing away from me!"

"Come on, don't be so stingy... Just a bite. That's all it'll take." Sōma insisted, coming closer to her.

"No way!" Erina exclaimed as she turned her head so that her mouth was as far away from him as possible. She had heard the screams of his recent victim and while she had been satisfied with them - he had totally deserved this fate - she didn't want to end up like him...

Something, anything! She needed something to distract him! If not, he would totally force this thing onto her. _Think!_ Erina shut her eyes tight to concentrate - and if by doing so this thing disappeared from her sight, then it was even better - before it dawned on her. This could work! Purple eyes snapped opened at the thought. Even if she still had her doubts about it, she had to try. He was getting closer...!

Throwing her last doubts and reluctance out the window, she forced the words out of her mouth.

"Will you go out with me?!"

Sōma froze in surprise and Erina let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She was saved.

"Huh?" he let out as he blinked owlishly at her, completely taken aback.

"... You heard me." It was hard enough to say once, she wouldn't be able to repeat it.

"Hum, okay." Sōma agreed as he leaned back - to Erina's great relief. "Where do you want to go? In the gardens?"

... _Seriously?_

Erina could do nothing but stare.

She would have to add Oblivious to the list of his flaws. ... Yeah, she had known that he was like that but still. She should have seen it coming but... Somewhere, she had wanted to believe that he would get it without her having to lay it out for him...

"Nakiri?" Sōma called.

Erina just continued to stare at him as if trying to convey the real meaning behind her words without saying anything. But she soon realized that it wasn't working. At all. He was still looking at her, confused.

Sighing, she invited him to take a seat. And to put the lid back on that container. Which he reluctantly did in favor of listening to her explanation - but not without a last look at his squid tentacles. He'd have to find someone else who was willing to taste it for him... Hmm... Maybe Tadokoro... Or someone else at the dorm. Yeah, it could work.

Satisfied, the redhead smiled contentedly before giving his undivided attention to the girl in front of him.

The blonde was currently fixing him intensely... But he didn't really get why. She had asked him to go out with her but when he had agreed and enquired about the location she had in mind, she had totally clammed up, leaving him to stare at her in question. Maybe she wanted to go out of the Nakiri property... She hadn't looked all that happy when he had proposed the gardens. Maybe she wanted to go even further away than that. But maybe she didn't want to go out at all actually... The way she had looked at him when he had asked... It was as if she hadn't meant it that way at all. But was there another way to understand this - Ah.

* * *

 _"M_ _o_ _m! Where a_ _re you?"_

 _"In the kitchen Sōma!"_

 _Small footsteps filled the place and soon a small red-haired boy no older than four popped into the kitchen where a beautiful blonde was cooking. The woman turned towards him with a big smile._

 _"Mom!"_

 _"How is my boy?" she asked brightly as she leaned down to ruffle his spiky hair._

 _"I'm good!" the boy answered grinning before sniffing the air and standing on his toes to peek at what she was doing. "What are you cooking? Can I help? Please?" he asked excitedly._

 _The woman let out a melodious laugh that filled the room, "Okay" she answered smiling._

 _"Yay!" the boy cheered. "What can I do?"_

 _"Peel the potatoes for me. I already washed them. They're on the counter."_

 _"Okay!" he exclaimed as he washed his hands before starting to peel. His mom always told him to wash his hands before starting to cook._

 _As he began his work enthusiastically, his mother resumed preparing the sea bass and his seasoning. She'd let it soak in it while the potato terrines would cool down. She'd go back to preparing it later. It'd be even better._

 _For now, the two of them worked quietly, the only sound being her happy humming._

 _When they were both done, she prepared the terrine and she set it to cool down, she walked upstairs with a proud Sōma in tow. His mother sat on the couch and pulled him in her lap. The boy burst out laughing and tried to escape when she started to tickle him, laughing as well._

 _After they both calmed down - though golden and blue eyes were still laughing - they rested for a while before the blonde broke the silence._

 _"You know Sōma, I really hope you won't grow up to be exactly like your dad."_

 _Big bright golden eyes peeked up at her curiously, waiting for her to continue._

 _"You know, if someday you come to like a girl, as in really like her and want to become lovers, don't let her ask you out. The man should be the one doing it. Don't be like your dad."_

 _"Lovers? Ask me out?" the boy asked as he looked up at her innocently, leaning into her chest._

 _"Hmm... Well, lovers are two people who really love each other and form a couple, like your dad and me, but are not yet married. To become lovers, one of the two people involved has to ask the other out."_

 _Big eyes blinked at her and she laughed, bringing a smile onto her son's face. He really liked to hear his mother laugh. It was just so beautiful._

 _"Never mind. You'll understand when you'll grow up." she concluded with a grin._

 _The red-haired boy returned it with one of his own before making himself comfortable in her lap._

 _"I'm home!" a deep voice came from downstairs._

 _"Pops!" Sōma shouted before jumping out of his mother's lap and running down the stairs._

 _"Don't run Sōma! You'll fall!" his mother called out._

 _"Haai!"_

 _She shook her head fondly before standing up to join the two men of her life downstairs where she could already hear her son enthusiastically telling his father that he had helped to peel the potatoes today as the latter made encouraging noises, being awfully proud of his son as always._

 _They brought so much happiness to her... She wouldn't exchange them for anything in the world._

* * *

Oh. Maybe she had meant it that way. Now that he remembered his mother's words, it made a lot more sense.

"Oh. You want to be my lover. You should have just said it from the start." Sōma stated, grinning widely.

Erina's face reddened in reaction to the redhead's bluntness. What a crude way to say things. Plus, it wasn't exactly what she had in mind...

After coughing to regain some composure, she opened her mouth to explain exactly what she had in mind.

"Well, yes and no. It would just be pretense. But nobody outside of this mansion should know that fact. I'm sure you know of this but people are spreading rumors about the two of us being lovers and dating -"

"They are?" Sōma interrupted, genuinely surprised.

"... Didn't you hear them whispering about it?"

"Oh, they were talking about us. That explains why I received letters from guys complaining about me stealing you from them I guess. I thought they had the wrong person." Sōma declared nonchalantly.

"... I'm not going to comment on that." Erina wisely decided after a short moment of silence.

She really should have been used to it by now. While she had been suffering from the situation, this idiot hadn't even realized what was going on... Figures. It wasn't even worth getting annoyed over.

Clearing her throat, she continued. "Anyway, I can't endure this any longer and that's why I'm asking you to do that. Of course, it would be for a limited period. Two weeks or so." _It's way too long if you ask me but according to my_ dear cousin, _it should be at least this long..._

"Sounds like fun." Sōma declared with a grin after some thinking it over. Kind of like a role play. "It's fine with me." he concluded, his grin softening into a smile.

"That's great!" Alice exclaimed, as she stormed into the room earning a heated glare from her blonde cousin. So she had been eavesdropping on them... "Then let's start tomorrow." she proposed.

Sōma nodded in acceptance as Erina sighed in defeat. The sooner they started, the sooner they'd be over it, so they might as well.

She stood up and slowly started to make her way out of the room fully intending to take a loooong bath. She needed to relax... This evening and the rest of the week - which wasn't over yet a small part of herself reminded her - had been extremely irksome and she really needed some time for herself.

She was about to step out when Sōma's voice stopped her.

"Wait. What are we supposed to do in order to make them believe that we're lovers?"

Erina mentally cursed. Yes. They had to go over that part as well... She briefly considered leaving the explaining to Alice before thinking better of it. Who knew what she would say if she wasn't there to keep her in check. She sighed once again. Thinking about it, she had been doing that a lot lately...

 _Looks like my bath will have to wait until later..._

* * *

 _ **Friday morning**_

And so that explains why Erina was currently in this situation with a depressed Alice and a waiting Sōma. But even if the situation was not what she had wished for, she didn't want to see her cousin sad. It just didn't feel right. The only way Alice should be is full of energy. Not sad and gloomy.

"I don't." she simply said but it was enough for Alice to regain her cheerfulness as she got closer to hug her cousin tightly.

After some time, she released her and prompted her to go out with a smile.

"Now go. And don't bite his head off." the red-eyed teen joked.

"... I'm off." Erina announced monotonously before making her way to the door without looking back. If she had, she would have seen the soft smile her cousin sent her way, but since she didn't, she missed it.

As she reached the door, she opened it to discover her 'boyfriend' waiting for her in his cardigan with his motorcycle cask under his arm.

The golden-eyed teen greeted her with a grin. "Ready?"

She nodded in answer and together, they made their way to his motorcycle.

 _Time to get this thing started._

* * *

 _And that's it for chapter 4. Usually, I write flashbacks in Italic but it would have been a bit long since most of the chapter was one ^^' Anyway,_ _I hope you enjoyed :)_

 _ **Answers to the reviews** :_

 **Justinj5 :** Thanks ^^ I'll try to keep it up :) I'm glad you like it that much :D Sorry for the late update… I really wanted to update sooner but I had a busy week and I preferred updating a little later rather than a short and unsatisfying chapter. Hope the wait was worth it :)

 **raydark182 :** LOL XD I hope they do XD I wouldn't want that for my worst enemy XD I'm glad you liked it. Well, yeah XD When I read it I instantly thought about Soma and his horrible dishes XD I'll try not to forget ;) I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well :)

 **Eramis8 :** I have to admit that despite all my sadistic fun, I kind of feel bad for him. Even if he totally deserved it XD Well, kinda XD I think that I'm being too predictable here XD

 **Hinate :** Yeah XD Well, she had to take her revenge XD And yeah, she's a total tsundere. More Sorina in this chapter ;) Also, the update was kinda late but well, life got in the way. Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well :)

 **| Hypocrisy | :** I was just on time then XD I'm glad it brightened your Monday :) Mondays really do suck ;) Though I'm already off schedule when we just agreed on it… I really tried but I just couldn't update any earlier… I'll try to be on time next week :) (But I can't promise anything :/ ) Anyway, yeah. I really like Hisako and how she's totally devoted to Erina. She's really a great aide and friend. Yeah XD I didn't go easy on him. Poor Isato… XD Now that you say it… XD It's true that it's kinda ironic. But seriously, am I that transparent? XD And well, I hope your Monday wasn't all that bad. I'll try to be on time next week ;) Fanfics and break sounds good ;D

 **CombatWars :** I'm really gonna have to try and be less predictable XD You got that right :) And I'm reflecting on it XD It really was a nasty cliffhanger. Sorry? ^^' Anyway, thanks for the review :D Hope you enjoyed this chapter :)

 **Theblackbird123 :** Aww… You could have written it XD It seems that I'm being awfully predictable XD I think you would have been right ;) That said, then that makes two of us XD I was almost dying of laughter while writing it XD And I would have loved to satisfy your curiosity but that totally came out of nowhere XD Even I am not so sure about that… Hisako will get to keep her secret it seems XD Thanks for the review :D Hope you enjoyed :)

 **TheBaka14 :** Thanks :D It just dawned onto me that he was perfect for this task XD Well, the update was kinda late but here it is! Hope you enjoyed :)

 **Sorina :** I don't know XD I don't really like when I'm reading a story with lots of cliffs but maybe I do in fact XD It just keeps you captivated… Probably. And truthfully, when I wonder how to end a chapter it kind of end up that way… ^^' Seeing as I'm almost transparent, I think that you might have been right in your prediction XD I hope you liked this chapter as well :)

 **SsinofRoses :** That's for sure! XD I'll make sure to organize some funeral for his tastebuds XD Thank you :D I really had fun writing last chapter so I'm happy I could share it ;) I hope it was worth the wait :) Thanks for the review :D

 **Fusion0104 :** Thank you so much :D I'm glad you like it :) Yeah, since it's in Erina's POV it might seem that way… But I'll try to keep his character in mind. I'd hate for Soma to become OOC… Anyway, thanks for the review :D and I hope you liked this chapter too ;)

 _Really thanks for all those reviews! I really enjoyed reading each one of them. :D_

 _Hopefully, next chapter will be ready for next week (if not next Monday)._

 _Ja ne :)_


	5. Spreading the fire

_Hello everyone!_

 _I really wanted to update earlier and I believe I would... But things didn't go as planned and I had some trouble writing this chapter. But all in all, it was pretty fun to write :) Possible OOCness here and there though I'd hate that but well. Judging your own work isn't that easy... *sighs*_

 _Anyway, thanks for the reviews, favorites and follows :) It really means a lot to me. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as well ^^_

 _Disclaimer : I don't own Shokugeki no Soma._

* * *

 **Chapter 5 : Spreading the fire**

* * *

 ** _Near East school building, ten minutes before class_**

 _Kuso! I'm running late! Gotta hurry...!_

Gotaro Jun was currently running towards the school building to meet up with his friends. He had promised to join them before the lessons start but, that morning, he didn't hear his alarm go off and, as a result, woke up late. Just what he needed...

So he was left with no choice but to run. After having been dropped by his chauffeur of course.

He was passing by the parking lot when honey blond locks flying in the wind caught his attention.

Coming to a stop, he looked into their direction to discover their female owner, clinging to a boy as they both rode a green motorcycle. As they parked in a free lot, the boy stopped the engine and took off his helmet.

The first thing that struck him was the spiky red hair which appeared. The second was that he had seen that shade of blond somewhere before. And the third was that the blonde had yet to stop clinging to the redhead.

He was still observing them - something about the two just intrigued him - when the boy spoke up.

"You can stop clinging to me. We've stopped."

The girl seemed to look around hesitantly - she still had her helmet on so he couldn't be sure - before promptly releasing her hold on him and jumping off the bike.

"I-I wasn't clinging to you!"

The boy threw a look at her before answering.

"Right. Didn't think you were such a scaredy cat." he teased, grinning.

"I am not!" the blonde denied, "It's just that your driving is dangerous!"

"I was driving rather carefully though. You're just not used to riding a bike yet."

"So what?" she inquired as her voice gained an annoyed edge.

"So I'll have to get you used to it!" the redhead replied grinning even wider than before.

"As if I'm mounting this thing ever again! I prefer my car, thank you very much." she added disdainfully before removing her helmet and throwing it at him.

Jun's jaw dropped.

 _E-Erina-sama...! Then... This guy is..._

And indeed, the guy accompanying her was none other than Yukihira Sōma, the transfer student. Why he hadn't recognized him before was beyond him - the fact that Erina-sama had been just in front of him hadn't helped though. The two were the talk of the academy right now - not that they weren't usually but they were currently rumored to be dating. He hadn't wanted to believe it at first - rumors can be so... creative sometimes... - but now, he might have to reconsider...

The lad easily caught the headpiece thrown at him before tucking it in his bike without ever losing his grin.

"Don't worry about it! Nothing will go wrong and if you're afraid to fall, you can just cling to me again." Sōma declared.

"Do you even listen to people? I told you I wouldn't get onto that thing again!" Erina exclaimed, obviously annoyed, before starting to make her way to the school building without a look back at her companion.

"Oi. You're not supposed to leave me behind, you know. It wouldn't do you any good."

To Jun's great surprise, the ice queen actually stopped to wait for the redhead despite the hard glare she sent his way. Plus, the guy actually took all of his sweet time to catch up with her. If it was him, he wouldn't have dared to make her wait! He would have hurried up to her side like any sane person. But what surprised him more was that the princess actually let the lad wrap his arm around her shoulders without saying anything before they both made their way inside.

At this point, Jun's mouth was opened so wide that he'd have to pick his jaw up the ground.

He stared at the direction they had disappeared into for a long time before the sound of the warning bell reminded him that he was running late and that he actually should be running right now.

* * *

Megumi was starting to worry.

Sōma-kun was nowhere to be seen and the lesson would start soon. She had intended to go to class with him - since they had that class in common - but when she had come down after breakfast that morning and looked for him, Fumio-san told her that he had left long ago. And so she had left alone and decided to meet him in the classroom, but when she had arrived fully expecting to see him seated in there or grilling some weird stuff, her hopes died.

Sōma-kun was not there.

Just where had he disappeared to? Did something happen? Maybe he had some senpais after him? He always seemed to find trouble wherever he went, even when he wasn't looking for it. ...Though he didn't seem to mind all that much, she was worried he'd really be expelled at some point... Even if he always seemed to find a way out of his predicament. But despite everything, he had saved her so many times... She would forever be grateful to him and somewhere along the lines she had come to like him more and more - way more than she should - but she didn't dare hope he'd reciprocate her feelings of course. Being able to be by his side even as a friend was already more than enough.

...

At least, that's what she was trying to convince herself about right now.

She had found Sōma-kun. But he was not alone - not that it was unusual for him not to be alone but... today was different. He was in the company of a girl - not that this was unusual either but it wasn't just any girl. It was Nakiri-san. She usually wouldn't have thought anything of it, but those weren't normal circumstances.

Sōma-kun had his right arm wrapped around Nakiri's shoulders and the latter, despite having her usual annoyed expression on, hadn't removed it. Plus, he seemed to be chatting happily to her with an expression she had never seen on his face before...

Unable to look at them any longer, she avoided her gaze for a moment until the warning bell rang reminding her that he lesson would start soon. She looked up at them to call out to him only to freeze.

Sōma-kun was currently kissing a flushed Nakiri-san. On the forehead. In front of her own classroom - which happened to be next to theirs.

By the time he leaned back, the princess was as red as a tomato. She looked half embarrassed and half irritated, but she didn't say anything. She just glared at him, tentatively, before heading into her classroom, leaving Sōma behind with a teasing grin on his face.

Megumi couldn't keep the jealousy from swelling inside her. And just for an instant, she wished to be the girl it was directed to.

The thought startled her. She couldn't have been the one thinking that right? She was totally fine with being friends with him! It was way more than enough for her to be happy! Just being able to be by his side was enough... Right...?

Oh no! He was coming this way... She couldn't face him with that state of mind...!

Quickly, she made her way inside the classroom and took her seat.

A minute later, Sōma entered the classroom without a care in the world, uncaring about the uproar he had just caused, and took his seat next to Ibusaki.

He was just in time because the professor entered just after him.

* * *

At lunch break, when they were all released from class, Sōma exited the classroom with the others, he stopped to look curiously at the flock of students who seemed to circle someone.

He was wondering how to see who was at the center without actually going into the crowd when he noticed movement. People were making way for someone who was apparently coming in his direction. So he just waited. And indeed, a minute later, he could see a blonde who was wearing a deep frown emerging from the crowd.

He knew that shade of blond. It belonged to his current pretend lover, and her frown seemed specifically directed at him.

"What's up Nakiri?" he asked with a smile.

"... What's up...? Do you know just how long I've been waiting for you? Do you know how uncomfortable it is to be surrounded like that? Couldn't you just hurry up a little?!"

"Well, I didn't particularly hurry but I wasn't particularly slow either you know. And we agreed to meet up somewhere else so why were you waiting here anyway?"

Erina's eyes widened as she took on a 'deer in highlights' expression before she flushed and mumbled something quietly.

"What? I couldn't hear you."

"...ing...uch...me."

"If you don't speak any louder I won't be able to hear you, you know."

"You were taking too much time! I've been done for ages! Just what were you doing?" Erina exclaimed loud enough for him to hear - as well as the flock of students surrounding them.

Golden eyes widened slightly before a wide grin spread on Sōma's lips. "Didn't think you'd miss me that much."

Purple eyes grew bigger in response before their owner huffed in hope to hide her embarrassment. "I did not! Besides don't you know that you shouldn't make me wait?"

"Nope. I wasn't aware that I agreed to that as well when we decided to date."

Erina's face grew redder at the mention of the D word. This guy was as blunt as ever and terribly embarrassing. Worst is that he wasn't even trying...

She was brought out of her thoughts by the loud whispers which filled the air surrounding them. For a moment, she had forgotten their current location and surroundings but now, she was abruptly reminded that they were really far from being alone and secluded.

Blood rushed to her face as she realized that they were making quite a scene, but she tried to keep it down by remembering that it was necessary for their plan to work. She remarkably failed.

"Well, now you know." Sōma's mouth opened to reply but she cut him off before he could say a word and started walking away from the crowd. "Let's go."

"Oh, okay." Sōma replied before following her.

* * *

They were now walking along an empty corridor when a shout rang through the air.

"Erina-sama!"

The blonde turned just in time to see her aide running towards her. She stopped in her tracks to wait for her and Sōma, noticing that she was no longer walking, stopped as well and turned around to nod at Arato in greeting.

When she caught up to them, Hisako took a moment to catch her breath.

"What is it, Hisako?"

"I heard everything from Alice. Is everything alright?"

"Hum, yeah..." Erina answered unsurely, wondering just what the heck had her cousin said to her friend for her to look that alarmed and voicing that thought.

"Milady said that you were forced into a relationship with a guy and that he abducted you this morning because he decided that you had to go to school with him. Where is the guy? I'll have him regret ever doing that to you..." Hisako explained as her voice gained a threatening edge towards the end. No one would ever be able to say that she had let such a thing remain unpunished.

"Oh, I think she was talking about me." Sōma declared uncaringly.

Pink eyes flew to him in surprise as if just noticing his presence, and as comprehension dawned on her, they instantly filled with relief.

"Oh. Then I guess I worried over nothing." Hisako stated apologetically before a small embarrassed laugh escaped her lips.

Meanwhile, purple eyes widened in surprise and disbelief. Just why was it that, as soon as she knew Alice had been talking about Yukihira-kun, Hisako's worry evaporated like a puddle of water in the summer heat? That spoke volumes about the trust she had in that man... Just when had the two of them grown so close? True, they had been together during part of the stagiaire period but that didn't explain everything. After all, she herself had been with Tadokoro Megumi but she hadn't grown that close to the girl. She had already respected her before - after all, she managed to get to the Autumn elections and stood her ground even if she lost against Kurokiba - and, if anything, she had confirmed that the girl totally deserved that respect. She really had potential.

But this was beside the point.

Erina's gaze flickered back to her two companions - who were chatting animatedly it seemed. She actually doubted they had even stopped to notice that she hadn't been talking for some time now.

Since they seemed oblivious to her inner turmoil, the blonde settled for observing their interaction.

They were completely at ease with each other and the conversation was flowing naturally without any voice rising or upset party unlike her own discussions with the lad. In her opinion, if a third party had to guess who were the ones dating amongst the three of them, they'd probably choose the two of them.

Somehow, the thought was disturbing at so many levels... First, she just refused to imagine the two of them together for some reason. Second, at the thought, an unexplainable bitter and irrational feeling built up inside her chest. And lastly, she didn't want to feel that way towards her aide and friend, she didn't want to wish that she'd just stay away from the man when she obviously enjoyed his company. She just didn't want to. But the thoughts still made their way into her mind as she looked at them and she had to look away to prevent them from taking over her mind completely. This was just... wrong. This was Hisako, her secretary, aide, and friend. If necessary, she wouldn't think twice before doing anything in her power to help her, to ease her burden, to give her peace of mind even if it meant doing things she didn't completely approve of - like she had earlier that week. So it was just plainly _wrong_ to feel that way.

The princess didn't have the chance to muse over it any longer since she was brought back to reality, rather violently at that, when she felt someone blowing on her nose. Startled, she refocused on her surroundings only to step back in surprise as golden eyes immediately invaded her vision. His face had been inches away from hers - way too close for comfort - with him leaning in towards her.

Somehow, this experience reminded her of the start of the week back in the Nakiri gardens when Alice was in the same position. She fervently hoped nothing bad would come to her this time because obviously, the previous time, it hadn't brought any good things to her. If someone had told her back then that she would be dating her nemesis by the end of the week, she would have called the nearest psychiatric institute and booked a consultation for them... But here she was. Life had a weird sense of humor.

"Nakiri."

"What is it?" Erina inquired, coming out of her thoughts.

"I was asking you if you were free tomorrow. But you weren't responding."

"... Are you going to throw your face into my personal space every time I space out?"

"Hmm..." Yukihira took a pensive stance as if pondering over the question for a moment. Unsurprisingly, it succeeded in annoying the blonde without any delay. "I might. Your reactions are kinda funny when I do that." he finished with a grin.

Erina's eye twitched.

 _Dear God, do give me patience because at the rate things are going, I'm not going to last two weeks..._ Actually, if she lasted one _day_ without snapping at him, it would be a new record. One she'd have trouble surpassing at that. ... This guy would be the end of her.

The blonde preferred to turn towards her secretary instead of answering (lashing out) to the redhead.

"What's my schedule for tomorrow?"

The purple-haired teen quickly flipped through the pages of her notebook to get the desired information. "You have some tasting to do for some famous restaurants in the morning and early afternoon. You'll be free starting 3 p.m."

Erina nodded before turning back to the guy standing in front of her. She waited for him to continue but he still seemed to be waiting for her answer. ... Didn't the guy have ears? Rolling her eyes, she spoke up.

"I'm free in the afternoon starting 3 p.m. Why?"

"Good. We're going on a date."

"... Excuse me?"

"You don't want to?"

"Why would I?"

"Because we're dating?"

... Oh. Right. "But you could have asked instead of just deciding by yourself."

"I did ask."

"... When?"

"I just asked you if you were free." he said cocking his head to the side as if to say 'I thought it was obvious and that you'd get it without me having to explain.'

... Just what kind of logic was that? Being free doesn't automatically equal to okay for a date. Except in weird Yukihira logic it seemed. No need to waste her energy trying to comprehend the mystery of his confusing mind. Though she had to wonder how he even came up with the idea of a date. It was highly surprising coming from him after all.

Apparently, she had voiced that interrogation because the redhead explained.

"Didn't we talk about going to dates yesterday night with Alice?"

Ah. Now that he said it, she had heard that subject being brought up but, as soon as the word was pronounced she had spaced out, thinking about all of the things those four letters implied.

Walks in a park. Holding hands. Picnics, homemade picnics. Feeding and being fed. Shopping. Trying on dresses and other outfits. Sea trip. Sleeping in the same room. Arcades. Unsuccessfully trying to catch a toy at a machine. Movies. Ice creams? Pop corn. Hands touching while reaching out. Arm being slung around her shoulders. Kiss on the forehead. Kiss on the cheek. Kiss on the nose. Kiss on the temple - just how many kisses could happen while on a date? Or a relationship in general? Except the traditional kiss on the lips of course - which she hoped to avoid while they were in this pretend relationship. Actually, if she could avoid being subjected to all of those activities - which she had learned about through shoujo mangas - she would have been grateful.

And by the time she had refocused on the conversation, Alice and Yukihira-kun had been happily conversing about some kind of thing totally unrelated to their pretend dating. She hadn't bothered remembering what it was.

Not that she'd admit that she hadn't been listening at all. Especially not to Yukihira-kun.

So she simply agreed.

And that's how she landed herself a date the next day.

"Great. I'll pick you up at 3:30?"

"Okay. That said, do leave that horrible vehicle you call a motorcycle at the dorm. We'll go by car." Erina demanded as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Sōma frowned in a way that only meant that he had absolutely no intention of acceding to her demand. "No way. How can you get used to it if you refuse to ride it?"

"I have no need to get used to this thing. I have many cars at my disposal."

"Which is why you are already used to them. Getting to know a new thing is great you know? Plus, you might come to enjoy it." he insisted with a smile.

"I don't want to and that's final."

"Come on, Nakiri. Isn't riding with your boyfriend a must in a relationship?" Well, at least, that's what Alice had told him. Since he didn't know any better, he'd trust her on this. Plus, it was fun so. "Unless you're too scared of course."

... This guy really knew how to push her buttons.

"Me? Scared?" Erina snorted in derision. "As if. I'll have you know that I am certainly not afraid of riding your motorcycle."

"Oh really?" Sōma asked tauntingly. "Because it certainly doesn't look like it."

After a few moments of silence during which Erina's blood pressure was steadily increasing as they were staring each other down, she finally snapped. "Fine! I'll ride your damn bike!"

A satisfied smile spread on Sōma's lips.

As she observed the exchange, Hisako smiled fondly and shook her head. Those two really got along so well. Before Yukihira came along, her boss had been way less spirited. It was good to see her enjoying someone's company like that - if arguing with someone could be considered as such. Even if she hadn't realized it yet, the redhead had become an unreplaceable part of her life.

The question was, just how big of a part would he become?

 _Only the future will tell..._ Hisako concluded before following her two companions in direction of the VIP corner of the cafeteria.

They were still bickering...

Well, this was going to be a lively lunch.

* * *

 _*kuso = shit (here at least. I guess you could probably translate it by damn or damn it in other situations)_

 _Thanks for reading! :) I hope you enjoyed it._

 _I didn't really know how to end it so it kind of ended that way. ^^' Hopefully, it's not too unnatural..._

 _Now, time for the answers to reviews :_

 **raydark182 :** XD Well, Alice has her ways XD I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'd really love it if SnS took that kind of direction buuuut with Central and all it certainly doesn't look like it'll be like that anytime soon... So. Here I am consoling myself with this fic XD I'm glad they weren't OOC in last chapter (especially Soma, I never seem to know exactly what he's thinking...) though I'm not so sure about this one ^^' That said, I have some plans for other pairings to appear but we'll see how the story goes. Though I have to say imagining Megumi with Ryo is kinda hard for me... But I guess that's just because I prefer Alice x Ryo. But, I guess I can see why you like it so much ^^ They're like polar opposites and it'd really make an interesting couple. Nope XD More like Soma having fun and Erina fuming in silence for now XD I really liked to write about Soma's mom so I guess she might reappear ;) Thanks for the review :D

 **Sorina** : XD Sorry ^^' Looks like I just can't stop using them XD Oh? Well, I guess I'm not as transparent as I thought then XD I'm really happy that you're enjoying it ^^ Really, thank you :) And I'll do my best to update as soon as I can ;)

 **xMIgBlaze** : Well, here is the update :) Though, while I'm happy that you're enjoying it, please, mind your language. You shocked me here O_O XD Anyway, thanks for the review :)

 **Aris0114** : Oh my. XD Trust me when I say I wasn't thinking about that at all when I wrote it XD Thanks for the review :)

 **Eramis8 :** Of course! ;) Yay! I still can surprise people XD (I seriously thought about getting a tan XD ) Joke aside, actually, it came just as unexpectedly for me. It just kind of happened. Hmm... I guess it does ^^ Thanks for the review :)

 **Theblackbird123** : That's what he does best XD To be perfectly honest, this part amused me as well XD You must have felt my own amusement XD Aww... Just how are we going to recover from this missed chance... I'll never get to know my future... Though, you still guessed it right. ;D Congrats :) Don't hesitate to write your thoughts next time ;) I love reading it :) Thank you for reviewing :D

 **ChaosOmega8 :** Apparently XD She must have been really out of ideas *nods* or too exhausted to think. She totally should XD But well, it helps that she didn't think about it ;) It really was XD I could just imagine him blurting that out XD Thanks :) I hope you enjoyed this one as well ^^

 **SsinofRoses** : Hmm yeah XD Though the date will be next chapter ;) I don't know how it will go yet but maybe it'll go like that XD Even I don't know yet ^^' Thank you :D Hope you liked this one too :)

 **Guest** (1) : Thanks :) Yeah that's what I have in mind at least XD How really is THE question ;) Hmm... Honestly, even if I know where I want to take this story, the way to get there is still kinda blurry XD But I think it might go that way ;) Only the future will tell :) Thanks for the review :D

 **| Hypocrisy |** : XD I don't know XD I might be a little sadistic... But just a little XD Though, actually, their first date will be next chapter ^^ ...I think ^^' Do you still want to punish me? XD And I totally felt your bad vibes XD Lack of concentration is horrible (especially when inspiration comes late in the evening... Oh joy.) Thank you :D Well, she totally does XD She just wanna 'help' her cousin to open her eyes as she said ;) That said, I hoped I'd be able to make it for coffee but since it's already late I kind of doubt it... Well, I tried XD I'll do my best for next chapter lol XD Or some people are just that good at reading me XD Though they can't always be right XD Thanks for reviewing :)

 **Hinate** : Only God can do something for him. That's for sure XD I'm happy you had fun reading last chapter :D And here is your kiss ;) On the forehead though XD (I almost didn't put it there but, IDK, it just happened) Thank you :) I wish you the best as well ;) Thanks for the review :D

 **Fusion0104** : :) Thank you so much :D I certainly hope he's not but sometimes I wonder... I'm really, really happy that you like it that much :) I love writing about Erina's turmoil and I loved writing about Soma's mom. It's really a shame we know next to nothing about her. I hope this chapter was satisfying :)

 **Guest** (2) : Hmm... Well, their date will be next chapter :) This one was really to see how their new relationship was received by the students. Some of them at least. I guess I'll probably show more of them later. Like Ikumi's reaction. Eventually. Anyway, thanks for the review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)

 **Light Sunshine** : :D I'm glad you like it :) Didn't have to wait long right? ;) I was just about to post the new chapter XD Thanks for the review :D And I hope this chapter was enjoyable for you as well :)

 _Thank you so much for the reviews! I love reading (I might be repeating myself but it's true :) They always make my day)_

 _Anyway, as I said earlier, I think I'll have to give up on updating on Mondays -_-' My fingers and mind just won't cooperate... But who knows? Anything could happen. Well, I think next chapter might, and probably will, be ready for next week, so, till next week ;)_


	6. If it doesn't burn, it's not really fire

_Hello guys!_

 _... I don't know how it came to this. I ...expected something else when I started to write this chapter but somehow that's how it turned out. Well, I enjoyed writing it anyway. I learned a lot about flower meanings too... I'll probably write about them at the end of the chapter._

 _Well, thanks for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing :D I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as well :)_

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own Shokugeki no Sōma.

* * *

 **Chapter 6 : If it doesn't burn, it's not really fire**

* * *

 _... Where am I?_

Erina thought confusedly as her purple eyes slowly opened, unfocused.

Feeling something in her hands, she slowly looked down at them.

Green. It was leaves. And white. White flowers with green leaves. Lilies? Yeah, lilies. She was holding lilies in her hands. And roses. A bouquet of calla lilies and white roses it seemed. Funny, she didn't see that association of flowers often, only in wedd-

Purple eyes widened, shooting upwards and quickly swept around the room.

They were many benches on her right and left, only separated by the grand aisle she was currently standing at the beginning of. On the side of some of the benches facing her were attached small bouquets of flowers, white carnations, and peonies at the base which were surrounding red roses in the middle of which stood a single white lily. Between each bouquet was hanging a white piece of cloth which ends hung loosely behind the bouquets, complementing it quite nicely.

Noise attracted her attention next.

Turning her head towards the direction it was coming from, she noticed people talking on the benches. Her eyes widened as she recognized them. It was her grandfather and her aunt Leonora, Alice's mother. Behind them, she could recognize other people as well like Dōjima-senpai, Kurokiba and Alice, and some others.

On the other side of the aisle were familiar people as well. Isshiki-senpai, Yoshino-san, Sakaki-san, Ibusaki-san, Tadokoro-san and all of the other Polar Star dorm residents were chatting happily. They were some people she didn't know too.

At the far back, she could even recognize Saiba-sama! He was neither on the left nor the right so she didn't really know which party he belonged to.

Thinking about it, who was getting married? Probably someone she knew well since she recognized so many people.

Finally looking towards the end of the aisle she remarked people standing there.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she recognized the person standing on the left.

 _Hisako...?!_

But as her eyes lowered to her dress, she realized she wasn't wearing white but red. She relaxed a little before it struck her. If _she_ was the maid of honor then -

And indeed, when she looked down at her own clothes she realized that she was wearing a white dress. A white _wedding_ dress. Plus, she was actually wearing a white veil. She didn't know how she had managed to miss it before but it was there.

 _She_ was the bride!

But then... who was the groom?

She slowly and dreadfully looked up to the groom side, but oddly enough, she couldn't see the groom party from where she was. He was being surrounded by people. Probably congratulating him. She couldn't even see the best man.

A sigh escaped her glossy lips as she closed her eyes.

She'd have to wait until she was next to him to discover his face...

Violins started playing and someone gave her a gentle push on the back.

Apparently, this was her cue. So she slowly started walking down the aisle while looking down, unable to look up. She was dreading the face she'd discover so she decided to keep the surprise for later.

She regretted her earlier decision when she finally settled next to her apparently soon-to-be husband and looked up.

 _...!_ This spiky red hair... Those golden eyes... This grin...! No doubt. It was...

"Yukihira-kun!" she exclaimed with wide eyes. ... _Kuso. Just how did that happen?!_

"Isn't it time for you to call me Sōma, Erina? You're gonna be a Yukihira too soon after all." the redhead whispered with a soft loving and teasing smile.

 _ **Badump**_

The blonde instantly evaded his gaze as she lowered hers in embarrassment and irritation at being called by her first name while mumbling something which sounded like "Who would..." bringing an even brighter smile on the redhead's face. At least, she tried to be irritated but the only thing she could feel right now was her racing heart. _Wh-why?_

And then she noticed his suit. It was a black three-pieces one which fitted him just right. The jacket was slightly open on the dark blue waistcoat inside and the white button up shirt beneath it all was a good contrast.

Somehow, it managed to be formal and informal at the same time. How was this even possible, she didn't know. Though, he still had this white cloth tied around his wrist. ... Did he ever take it off?

Wait!

This was totally beside the point! What was she doing getting flustered...? She had to flee before it was too late...!

 _Huh?_

Her legs weren't responding...! It was as if she was rooted into place... She couldn't move...! She tried to - unsuccessfully - but they didn't respond to her orders...

 _What's going on...?!_

And the priest chose that precise moment to start speaking.

 _Oh no..._ If she didn't hurry, she would really end up marrying that idiot...! _Move! Get away!_

But no matter how much she wanted to, her legs just refused to cooperate.

She was still struggling when she heard a voice saying "I do."

It took her a moment to realize it was hers.

When she did, she renewed her efforts but to no avail. It was completely useless. Her legs refused to move. Even her hands were unresponsive. She was left to watch the scene, trapped in her own body.

Too soon, she heard Yukihira-kun's "I do."

Dread filled her entire body as she continued to watch the events unfold before her, powerless.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Yukihira slowly lifted her veil and took a second to smile warmly at her before leaning in. _No !_ He was now just 8 inches away. _No way!_ 4 inches till their lips would touch. _This can't be happening!_ 2 inches. _No...!_ Erina's eyes closed in anticipation and dread.

Just before the contact, she snapped them open and shot upwards.

 _...Wha-_

Greeting her was the sight of her room.

No Yukihira, no guests, no wedding room, no priest. No one beside her.

She was alone in her bedroom, seating on her bed and the only sounds that could be heard were her heavy breathing and her loudly beating heart.

 _A-a dream?_

Erina let herself fall back on her bed.

It had all been a dream. A horrific one at that. Damn that Alice... It was all her fault! She was sure of it. It was her who had talked about being married to him! If she had never said that, then maybe she wouldn't have had that dream...

And just before their date at that.

This was going to be fun...

* * *

 ** _Saturday afternoon, next to the gate of the Nakiri mansion_**

"..."

Sōma had been looking fixedly at Erina for what seemed to be an eternity now as he stood next to his scooter.

... It was starting to get uncomfortable.

"... What?!" the blonde asked defensively.

"Nothing. It's just that you look pretty normal." the redhead replied with a blank face.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Erina barked at him.

She was currently wearing a sweetheart light pink blouse paired with dark blue jeans and black flat shoes. A jean jacket with a military style collar finished the look. Her hair which was usually down was now tied in a ponytail. It was just a change of outfit but somehow, she looked like a different person. A normal one. Not a filthy rich princess.

"Well, I half expected you to come in your uniform or some extravagant clothes." he explained with a grin.

Erina just huffed at him indignantly before crossing her arms.

Hmph. Just who did he think she was... Is what she'd have wanted to say but actually...

She almost had.

 _ ***Flashback***_

 _"Erina-sama?"_

 _Erina stopped in her tracks and turned toward the voice calling her name._

 _"Ah Hisako. What is it?"_

 _"... Are you going out dressed like that?" Hisako asked unsurely, as if afraid of asking._

 _Purple eyes lowered to inspect their owner's current outfit. It was Tōtsuki's uniform. Her appointments had lasted longer than expected and it was almost time for her to leave. ...Okay. She still had five minutes left but she didn't really want to spend them in her dressing room so... She had just decided to go like that. It's not like what she wore really mattered anyway, right?_

 _"Yes, that's what I intended to do. Why?" Erina asked as she cocked her head slightly to the side with a light questioning frown._

 _The look Hisako was giving her was stuck somewhere between bewilderment, surprise, shock and resignation. Needless to say it didn't happen often, so Erina was rightfully taken aback by this reaction._

 _After some more silence, Hisako finally sighed and spoke up._

 _"... I'll help you pick something else. If you're okay with it of course._ _"_

 _Erina simply nodded in acquiescence before she followed her aide into her dressing room._

 _ ***End of flashback***_

But there was just no way in hell that she was going to let him know that. So there really was no point in thinking about it now.

"When you'll be done gaping at me, will we be able to leave already?" she asked in slight annoyance instead.

"Ah, gomen." Sōma said with an embarrassed grin, "I almost thought I had the wrong person but that haughty personality cannot be copied." he stated. "Though different clothes can really change a person." he concluded as he crossed his arms over his chest, nodding solemnly as if he had just confirmed one of the biggest theory ever exposed.

A vein pulsed against Erina's temple.

"I'm going back." she stated angrily as she turned to walk away.

"Warui, warui. Don't go back. We still have a date to go to." Sōma apologized as he sweat dropped. He had almost forgotten that the girl didn't share his humor.

"Go alone." the blonde said without looking back as she started walking for the Nakiri mansion's front door.

"But I've got the tickets already. And I'm sure you'll really like it. So come with me?" the redhead tried with a small hopeful grin.

"I don't care." she replied curtly, still walking away from him.

"Come on, Erina. We're supposed to be lovers right?"

Erina's eyes went wide as she froze mid-step.

"... What did you call me?"

"Erina?" he repeated with the air of someone confused who wanted to ask 'what's wrong with that?'

"You're not allowed to call me that!" Erina snapped at him, spinning around so that she was fully facing him now.

"Why not?" he asked, confused.

"Because I don't want you to call me that!" she was about to add that he had no right to speak to her so familiarly given his position when she was abruptly reminded of his exact standing.

He was currently her boyfriend - her pretend boyfriend but her boyfriend nonetheless. And she had heard about couples calling each other by their first names, so she guessed it wasn't odd for him to do that.

But she still wasn't okay with it.

Thinking about couples, this outing was all for the sake of their little act so maybe it'd be bad if she just left him there and went back on her own.

Erina glanced at her residence standing proudly a few meters away from her before sighing in resignation.

When she refocused back on the man standing in front of her, she inhaled sharply as her eyes widened in surprise.

Golden eyes were examining her, barely 5 inches away from her purple ones.

Her gaze slid over his face until it caught sight of his smooth lips before shooting back to his intense gaze.

It seemed like he had been serious about invading her personal space when she spaced out.

Usually, she would have told him off and put some distance between them without missing a beat but right now she couldn't. She couldn't move. This situation was way too similar to the one in her dream...

She felt her face growing hot as blood rushed to it. Right now, she was sure she was doing a pretty good impersonation of both a tomato and a statue. ... Yeah, it was an unusual combination for the princess.

They stayed like that for some time before the blonde shut her eyes tightly, unable to take it anymore.

She waited dreadfully for whatever was going to happen next when she felt something gently forcing its way over her head.

Opening her eyes to inspect it, she realized it was a helmet. Her baffled gaze flew up to the redhead. She discovered him grinning brightly at her, satisfied.

Her heart skipped a beat and she blinked, confused.

"Now, come on. Let's get going!" he exclaimed excitedly as he put his own helmet on and took her hand to pull her to his scooter.

He installed himself on the bike and she sat behind him - on auto pilot - when he invited her to. Seeing that she was being unresponsive to his calls, he wrapped her arms around his midsection and started the engine. When they started to move, she instinctively tightened her hold on him and he let out a small smile.

At last, they were off.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, they pulled up into a parking lot.

Sōma set his foot on the ground before removing his helmet and shaking his head. Then putting it down on his thighs he glanced at the girl currently holding him. When she didn't move, he placed his left hand over hers.

Since this failed to get a reaction out of her, he spoke up. "We're here."

Again, no reaction.

Sōma frowned. Was she asleep? He had never heard of people falling asleep while riding a bike before... She must have been really tired...

But the fact was that in that position, it would be hard to shake her awake. He couldn't really turn around and grab her shoulders after all. Plus, if he acted too forcefully, she might jerk, lose her balance and fall off the bike.

Since they weren't moving, it wouldn't be that dangerous but still... If she got hurt, he'd have to explain himself to the whole Nakiri family and Arato.

Let's just say he'd prefer to avoid that.

He soundlessly let out a breath before shifting slightly in order to be able to gently shake her left shoulder with his right hand without risking her - or himself - losing balance.

As he did just that, he said "Nakiri, wake up."

The girl stirred and he thought she was going to wake up but she only tightened her hold on him.

Sōma sweat dropped. "Oi."

Needless to say the princess was still sound asleep. Moreover, she actually cuddled against him a little more.

"Seriously?" the scarred-eyebrow teen asked to no one in particular.

He briefly wondered whether she'd believe him or not if he told her how she had behaved later on before reiterating his efforts.

* * *

"...ri! ...kiri! Nakiri!"

 _Hmm...? Someone's calling me?_

Pale eyelids parted slowly, revealing unfocused purple eyes. Slowly focusing on their surroundings, the first information they transmitted was the gravel and white lines typical of a parking lot.

But that didn't explain the voice still calling her.

Next was a white shoe on which ended the leg of a blue jean. Then, as they traveled higher, a green bike and a manly hand on her shoulder.

 _Hmm...?_ Erina thought sleepily.

The next second, she shot up as it all clicked.

She had been traveling on Yukihira-kun's bike to get to the place where their date would take place and then, her eyes closed. She couldn't really remember anything after they had departed so she assumed it had happened soon after they left the mansion. She hadn't realized that she had been that tired...

A sigh caught her attention.

"I was starting to think that you wouldn't wake up. You must have been really tired." Sōma stated as he threw her a grin from over his shoulder.

Erina didn't bother answering him. Instead, she looked up to inspect their surroundings - he had refused to tell her where they were going beforehand - and her eyes widened in surprise as she caught sight of a blue panel.

An aquarium! She had wanted to try going to one since a long time ago! But she never had the time to...

She excitedly removed her helmet and got off the bike before starting to walk towards the entrance.

"See, I knew you'd like it." Sōma declared in a 'I told you' tone.

And when she stopped to glance at him, she discovered him displaying a satisfied grin on his face. Not wanting to admit that he had been right, she tried to bury her excitement under her usual uncaring face.

She remarkably failed.

Her eyes still conveyed the same impatience and the corners of her mouth just wouldn't stay down.

"Shut up." Erina mumbled as she finally managed to frown. Partially. "Hurry or I'm leaving you behind." she added as she resumed walking.

"Coming." Sōma replied as he finished putting away the helmets.

Then, he nonchalantly made his way to the entrance where Nakiri was already standing, waiting for him while reading something over the information desk.

He could feel the excitement radiating from her - even if she was putting up a good front. He swore, this girl just couldn't be honest. He still remembered the time when she had declared that his food was terrible...

His eyes lit up at the thought.

He hadn't forgotten and, one day, he'd make her say that his food is good.

A fired up grin slowly stretched on his lips. Maybe he'd be able to use this situation to his advantage as well... But for now, he had a date waiting.

The redhead continued walking, the grin never leaving his face - though he managed to tame it to a smile. He soon caught up to the frowning blonde whose expression managed to convey 'You sure took your sweet time. How dare you make me wait?' without saying a word. He returned it with an unashamed grin before presenting the tickets to the employee.

 _Let's start this date._

* * *

 _And that's the end. *runs and hides* Don't kill me! My fingers and mind refused to cooperate. But I guess they will have no choice for next chapter. Finally, the date. (Hopefully)_

 _*coughs*_

 _So :_ kuso _= shit,_ warui _= my bad_ , hai _= yes,_ gomen ~ gomene _= sorry,_ oi _= hey._

 _Flower meanings :_ white carnation : _innocence and pure love ;_ white calla lily : _magnificence, beauty, purity and innocence ;_ white rose : _purity, chastity and innocence ;_ red rose : _deep emotions (here love) ;_ peony : _happy life, happy marriage, good health, prosperity (here)._

 _As for the answers to the reviews, I recently decided to use PM for the ones who are registered. Though, do tell me if you prefer a public answer. I'm fine with both ;)_

 _Answers to guest reviews :_

 **Guest** (1) : XD Yeah XD But here's a new chapter ;) Hope you enjoyed :) Thanks for the review :D

 **Sorina** : Well no XD I thought it might be good to have a normal student's point of view ;) Glad you liked it :D ... Sorry! ^^' I really wanted to write about their date too but somehow that's what it became... Don't hate me? The date is coming next! :D Thanks for reviewing ^^

 **Gosu** : Thank you :D I'm happy that you enjoy them ^^ And I'd really like to give you a date but if I end up not posting on that day... Yeah. Though, I usually post it before Thursday comes. Anyway, thanks for the review :D

 **Guest** (2) : Glad you're enjoying it ^^ Thank you for reviewing :)

 _Thanks to **raydark182** , **SsinofRoses** , **Kishoto** , **Erasels** , **Fusion0104** , **Hinate** , **|Hypocrisy|** , **Ryner510** , **KairuG** , **soulxspirit125** , **Light Sunshine** and **pnapasab** for leaving a review too ^^ __I'd like to thank **ChaosOmega8** as well (sorry, I somehow managed to miss it at first)_

 _I really love to hear from you guys :)_

 _I'll probably explain Japanese honorifics next time (for those who aren't used to them)_

 _Thanks for reading!_

 _Ja ne (=bye bye ;) )_


	7. Reddish flame

_Hello guys! ^^_

 _Finally, the date! Yeah I know, it took some time but it's finally here ;) I hope you'll enjoy this chapter too :) I had a lot of fun while writing it so I really hope you will ^^_

 _Once again, thanks for reading, reviewing, following and favoriting :D Also, special thanks to my new beta reader_ _ **Kishoto**_ _;)_

Rose = narration

 _Rose_ = _thoughts or stress on the word or food-induced vision_

"Rose" = "speech"

 **Disclaimer :** I don't own Shokugeki no Sōma.

* * *

 **Chapter 7 : Reddish flame**

* * *

As she stepped inside the aquarium, Erina had the vivid impression that she had just stepped into another world. Wherever she looked, be it right, left or upwards, all she could see was water, with fishes lazily swimming about. The whole corridor was bathed in a dim light blue due to the surrounding water.

With all the sand and corals covering the bottom of the tank, it was as if she was standing at the bottom of the ocean.

Her eyes seemed to want to absorb as much of the scene as they could as they widened in amazement and wonder.

To her right, a group of butterfly fishes passed and seemed to be doing some kind of synchronized swimming, which included S-figures and loops. It was really pretty to look at because of their unforgettable colour. They were mainly yellow but their whole body seemed to be enveloped in a blue neon glow. She had never seen such a fish before and she just couldn't seem to take her eyes away from the spectacle they provided.

"It's great that you're enjoying it and all Nakiri, but we should keep walking. Or at least stay on the sides. Standing in the middle of the pathway is gonna bother the other people coming in."

 _Ah. I had already forgotten about him..._

Erina composed her face - tried to anyway - and started to walk at a slow pace while migrating slightly to the side of the tunnel.

A shadow attracted her attention and she stopped in her tracks before looking up. Just above her, a long shark was lazily swimming its way through the water. The fishes from before all dispersed and it reminded her of how a firework looked when it reached the end of its flight, breaking apart with sparks flying in every direction.

It was such a beautiful display that her jaw actually dropped open a little as she watched in amazement.

It was gently closed by a finger that didn't belong to her. Following the arm it was attached to, she found a smiling Sōma at the end of it.

"Wouldn't want you to catch flies with your mouth hanging open like that." he teased, grinning.

She was about to retort but he cut her off with his next remark.

"Plus, it's no good if you pay more attention to the fish than to your boyfriend, you know."

Erina wrapped her left arm across her chest as her right hand came to support her chin as an evil gleam appeared in her eyes. "Oh? You're upset about not being the center of my attention? That's new."

Sōma stared at her for a moment before leaning forward, once again intruding into her personal space. She swore, this guy probably didn't know the meaning of the word...

"And what if I said yes?" he asked, an unreadable expression taking over his whole face.

Taken aback, Erina was rendered speechless and just stared at him with disbelief written all over her face.

They stood there, staring at each other in a tense silence for a long time before Sōma stumbled forward when someone bumped into him. He reflexively extended his arms in front of him and his hands slammed against the hardened glass, giving him the balance he needed to avoid completely crashing into Nakiri - a little more and he would have crushed her against the glass. He heard a panicky apology and assumed it was from the person responsible for their predicament.

However, he wouldn't be able to recognize them later because he didn't spare them a single glance. All of his attention was concentrated on the girl now trapped in the prison that his body had become. His face was almost resting in the crook of her neck and he could feel her hot breath on his. He could feel her voluminous breasts pushing against his chest and the warmth her body was emitting.

Pushing against the glass to put some distance between them, he was soon face to face with a wide-eyed Erina. She had a deer-in-the-headlights expression on her face, surprise and shock coloring her features. She held his gaze and, as the situation they were currently in slowly sank in, a flush slowly crept onto her face.

An unknown feeling made his stomach churn at the sight and he tried to identify it for a moment before giving up as he couldn't come up with an answer immediately. It wasn't as if they could stay in that position forever.

Breaking off the eye contact, he straightened up and tucked his left hand into his jeans' pocket.

He sighed. "Sorry about that." He had only been joking but he hadn't thought it would lead to them being stuck in that position. He then took her hand to pull her up and she let him do so. Once she was steady on her two feet, he continued cheerfully, "Now, come on! There's still much more to see." with his trademark grin back in place as he started walking, pulling her along as he didn't let go of her hand.

Erina was left to stare at the back of his head before she lowered her gaze to their joined hands. It was warm. Really warm. She had never known that holding someone's hand could be so warm. His hand was big and manly. Plus, this was the hand of someone who was used to being in the kitchen. She remembered that he had told her before that he had been living in the kitchen ever since he was three. She briefly wondered what kind of irresponsible person would let their child hold a knife at this young age.

...

Somewhere, far away from Japan, a man sneezed. Jōichirō wondered just who could be thinking about him before he was called out of his little reverie by his French coworker "Jo! Qu'est-ce que tu fais? Monsieur D. attend toujours son plat!" to which he answered "Ça vient!" before he flew out the door with a plate in one hand.

...

Back in the tunnel, Erina was back to staring at the back of the redhead's head. She just couldn't get him...he always did unexpected things and he didn't even seem bothered by the previous situation. She was growing irritated over the fact that she was the only one getting flustered over the whole ordeal. He always seemed to keep his cool no matter what. At that very moment, the only thing she wanted to do was break his calmness into pieces and throw it in the tanks for the fishes to eat.

As the thought crossed her mind, her eyes caught movement at the bottom of the water. She stopped walking and got closer to identify what could have caused it - pulling Sōma with her - but she couldn't see any fishes in that area. She scrutinized the sand even more and then she saw it move.

Her eyes widened and she slammed her hands against the glass.

Startled by the sound, a strange flat fish lifted up from the sandy bottom and swam away. It was the same color as the sand. No wonder she hadn't spotted it before!

"Oh, it's a speckled ray." a deep voice came from next to her.

She immediately recognized it as Sōma's but didn't bother looking his way as she stared after the fleeing fish until it disappeared behind a piece of coral.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, they were finally out of the tunnel.

Sōma closed his eyes and sighed. He had tried to tear her away from it at multiple instances but every time a new unknown - to her at least - and beautiful fish appeared out of nowhere, it caught the entirety of her attention. Not that he was complaining since it kind of was the purpose of their outing but still. This tunnel was only twenty meters long! If we suppose that a step equals to one meter then they should have been out of there way earlier...unless they had stopped after every step. Which was really close to what had actually occurred...

Shaking his head in remembrance, he sighed once more and crossed his arms. He would bet that, even with all that, she still wouldn't admit that she had totally loved going to this aquarium. She was just that dishonest...

 _Why is that? Beats me..._

If he knew the answer to that, he wouldn't have had any trouble making her recognize his cooking in the first place...

But that line of thinking was neither here nor there. They were still in the middle of their outing after all. Right.

Sighing again, he opened his eyes... and promptly proceeded to face palm.

He had forgotten.

This aquarium was famous for its amazing underwater-like experience...at least that's what he had heard from the girls. Once, Yoshino had gone there with Sakaki and Tadokoro, and when they had come back, she hadn't stopped praising it and saying that she wanted to try raising fish too. Needless to say that Fumio-san had been totally against transforming the dorm into an underwater castle. Not that she could have covered the entire dorm with water but, well…better safe than sorry.

And that explained why, after finally succeeding in getting out of that tunnel, he found himself in another underwater room. Sōma sweat dropped. They wouldn't be out of there for at least another half hour, if not more...

Well, better enjoy it then.

It really was a beautiful place. Like inside the tunnel, the light was blue (a deeper blue than the one bathing the tunnel) after having been filtered by the water. Plus there were six tanks linked by the water so that they were only separated from one another by the glass on the sides. For each tank, a different decor had been chosen and it really was... breath-taking, for lack of a better term.

One was suitable for tropical fishes, while another was fit for Indo-Pacific fishes, and another for Hawaiian fishes. They were other setups that he didn't know the word for but they were still really beautiful.

Somehow, all of those factors contributed to giving an intimate and calm feeling to this peculiar room. It was the perfect place for if you suddenly wanted to do some soul-searching. No wonder he had started to reflect on things as soon as he had stepped in.

Crossing his arms, he nodded in satisfaction. It all made sense now.

Thinking about it, what was Nakiri doing?

Turning around, he couldn't help but smile at the sight.

The blonde was slowly looking around, her face lit up by all this excitement. Her eyes only conveyed pure joy and she looked like a child who had just been told that she had just received an unexpected and fantastic Christmas present.

It wasn't often that he saw her with a look like that on her face, Sōma thought. Actually, it was the first time he had ever seen her like that...

Well, she should smile like that more often. It definitely suited her better than her almost constant frown or her usual cold expression.

As if sensing his gaze on her, Erina turned towards him only to quickly avert her eyes as she tried to calm her racing heart.

The teen was smiling directly at her but it wasn't his usual stupid grin...it was softer. And his eyes...they were usually full of defiance and confidence but right now, that look had been replaced by something much softer, an emotion she couldn't quite put a name on... Did she even want to? She wasn't really sure...

A couple conversing as they entered the room interrupted her musings.

"Wow! This room is really awesome! You were right, Chika!"

"Huh, you doubted me, Goto?"

"Who'd blame me? Last time you said something was great, we had to wait for four hours to get inside the haunted house and it wasn't even scary. They were totally lacking in their ability to scare the customers..."

"But I was really scared!"

"Yeah, but you'd be scared of a rabbit coming out of a bush."

"Meanie!" the girl exclaimed before smacking her companion repeatedly on the arm.

"Warui" the boy laughed. "Stop hitting me now."

The boy caught her fists effortlessly with one hand before pulling his girlfriend against his chest and wrapping his arms around her, causing said girlfriend to turn into a tomato as she stopped moving.

"Are you calm now?" the boy asked, voice dripping with amusement.

"Mou... What are you doing in public, let me go!" the girl exclaimed as she started to struggle.

"Hmm...no." the boy answered with a grin.

The girl answered back with something but Erina tuned them out and looked away, unable to keep looking at the embarrassing couple any longer.

How could they even do that sort of intimate deed in public?! She wasn't the one subjected to it but she was sure she was embarrassed enough for the both of them. Her face was burning up and she didn't know where to look...

A blow on the nape of her neck made her jump and she barely managed to keep her shriek in.

Spinning around, she found herself with a grinning Sōma. Okay, this was pretty normal but right now, what worried her was the weird glint in his eyes. This look spelled trouble and the fact that she was on the receiving end of it was only more worrisome.

The blonde involuntarily took a step back and found herself cornered as her back touched the glass. Dreadfully looking up, she noticed that his grin was even bigger than it had been a second ago. This couldn't be good.

The redhead leaned in until his mouth was just next to her ear before whispering "Should we follow their example, Erina?" He stressed the sound of her name.

Her blood rushed to her face and she didn't know if it was because of the extreme embarrassment she felt or because of the annoyance she felt at the use of her first name when she had clearly denied him the permission to use it.

She'd never know because her attention was soon caught by a strange fish nonchalantly swimming inside the tank just behind her which she had noticed while attempting to put some distance between his face and hers by turning it away from him.

Actually, she wasn't so sure about its classification as a fish, but it lived underwater so she supposed it had to be one. It really was a strange fish though. Its whole body was pink except for the blue eyes on each side of its round head. Plus, it had four legs and six horn-like hairy things surrounding its head besides its tail.

She had never seen a fish like this one before...! She never would have even been able to imagine that something like that existed...

Seeing that his companion's attention had been completely stolen from him by this... Mexican walking fish - wow, he hadn't even been aware such a thing existed - as he could read on the description, Sōma straightened up, his teasing mood completely blown away.

Instead, he settled for observing the strange fish too. He briefly wondered how it would taste but it was really small - and rare apparently - so he rapidly dismissed the thought and started looking around. It'd be best to find something interesting to observe since he would be here for a while...

* * *

He had been right. They had spent more than thirty minutes in that room... Plus, there had been other, more ordinary tanks - completely separated from the others - to look at - those Irrawaddy dolphin had really been impressive with all their figures - before they finally reached the place he had wanted to visit.

The café.

It was famous for its delicious parfaits and crepes and he had really wanted to taste them. Moreover, the atmosphere around it was really calming... It was probably the only attraction of the aquarium that was in the open air.

Though, it would have been a waste if it was inside. After all, such a large and clear pond was more fitted for the outside. It was surrounded by grass and Japanese sculptures, creating a clean break from the inside. They were two different worlds, but it was good like this. It was a nice change.

As he approached the pond and looked in its depth, he discerned a multitude of colors. Intrigued, he was about to get even closer when a woman's voice stopped him. He turned around and noticed a woman, seemingly in her twenties, behind Erina.

She got closer and threw something into the water.

Not even a second later, colors exploded from the surface of the water in the form of fishes. Those were koi! He hadn't been aware that they could have so many colors... He thought they would only be variations of red, white and black... But he spotted a completely golden one, and a gold and black one - with the water, it almost looked like dark green - and a white one besides the more traditionally colored koi.

He watched them in amazement and a quiet sound next to him informed him that he wasn't the only one. He smiled at that and straightened up.

They both observed them in silence until they migrated back towards the bottom of the pond.

Only then did Sōma take Erina's hand to pull her away from it and in the direction of the café, proudly standing a few meters away from the pond.

They settled on a table and looked over the menu. They both decided to order parfaits - pineapple for Sōma and strawberry for Erina - and soon enough, their orders arrived.

Sōma didn't waste a moment and immediately plunged his spoon in his parfait before bringing it to his mouth to taste it without a care for the beautiful presentation - it was in a glass making the different layers perfectly visible, and on top of it all were some nuts with an pineapple slice - because what really mattered to him was the taste after all. And it definitely satisfied him.

The fruits were fresh and the acidity of the pineapple coupled with the yogurt's sweetness and the cinnamon was just right. He let out a content smile before looking at Erina.

The blonde was still looking at hers, appreciating the decoration. Just like Sōma's, it had been put in a glass and she could distinguish all the layers of fresh strawberries, crumble, and yogurt. On top of it were two halves of a strawberry. The whole appearance was really appealing and she hoped the taste was just as good.

Slowly taking out her spoon out, she plunged it in her parfait before bringing it to her face. She took a moment to appreciate the scent of the freshly cut strawberry before opening her mouth to taste it.

 _Erina found herself leisurely walking through a strawberry field. As she walked, she noticed a really red one and leaned in to take in its perfume. It was really sweet and she felt her face break into a smile. This was really relaxing._

When the blonde opened her eyes once again, she found golden eyes intently staring at her as if waiting for her comment. She fought the flush that wanted to take over her face before mumbling a small "It's not too bad." and resuming eating.

Sōma smiled. From Erina, this probably meant that it was good. He swore, this girl just couldn't be honest... But well, the more important was that she enjoyed it, this and the aquarium. He had a lot of fun as well so he decided that this date had been a success.

Satisfied, he resumed eating his parfait.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the two, someone was hiding in the shadow of the nearest tree.

 _Oh my goodness...they won't believe it...!_ the figure thought before slowly leaving sneaking away to discreetly exit the aquarium.

* * *

 _*winks conspiratorially at_ _ **Fusion0104**_ _*_

 _And that's it for chapter 7 ;) Thanks for reading! And I really hope you enjoyed it :)_

Warui = _my bad ;_ mou= _geez._

 _Conversation with Jōichirō :_ "Jo! What are you doing? Mr D. is still waiting for his dish!" ... "Coming!"

 _Now, a little explanation about Japanese honorifics for those who don't know already (at least it's what I use them for based on my understanding of them) :_

-san : _express respect, it's the most basic one. It's used for people you don't know, know but aren't close to for example._

-kun : _often used to address boys you are close to, it can be a friend or a classmate ; it's used when a superior address someone hierarchically inferior to him too sometimes._

-sama : _used to express deep respect, or veneration_

-chan : _often used to address girls you are close to, be it a classmate of a friend. It's often used in a nickname too for either girl or boy._ -cchi _can be used as an alternative._

-senpai : _used to address someone hierarchically superior to you. (The opposite is kouhai but it's not really used as an honorific or I never saw it before…)_

 _When there's no honorific at all, it usually means that they're really close like childhood friends, a couple especially if they're married, or a parent-child relationship._ _I can't think of anything else so I'll leave it at that._

Answer to guest reviews :

 **Guest** (1) : Wow XD Well, you're very welcome! :D I'm happy you loved it that much ^^ Thank you for the review ;)

 **Guest** (2) : Glad you liked it :) Thanks for dropping a review :D

 **Sorina lover** : Yeah finally! XD It was hard to finally get to it but here it is ;D Hope you enjoyed :) Thanks for reviewing :D

 **Sorina** : (…Am I right to think that you're Sorina lover too or not? Since I'm not sure, I'll answer to each review separately.) Yeah! Here is the date you were waiting for :) Hope you liked it and wasn't agonizing during the wait XD Sorry if you were, I updated as soon as I could ^^' I think she was quite cute too, being excited like this and all XD And that's a very good question. XD We'll have to see how indeed in the future (still thinking about it lol). You can XD Apparently, I can't leave without them XD Thanks for reviewing! ;D

 **Guest** (3) : Here is the update :D I hope the wait wasn't too long. Thank you! And I'll think about it. It sounds fun XD Though I can't promise that I'll use it... Anyway, thanks for reviewing! :D

 **Guest** (4) : He often does indeed XD Thanks :) XD Let's say that's it XD Or maybe it really was caused by Alice's remark ;) Thanks for the review :D

 _Thanks to the registered reviewers too :_ _ **Kishoto**_ _,_ _ **Justinj5**_ _,_ _ **Erasels**_ _,_ _ **raydark182**_ _,_ _ **evolvelove**_ _,_ _ **TheBaka14**_ _,_ _ **Eramis8**_ _,_ _ **The blackbird123**_ _,_ _ **SsinofRoses**_ _,_ _ **xMlgBlaze**_ _,_ _ **|Hypocrisy|**_ _,_ _ **Imperial-samaB**_ _,_ _ **MatchaWave**_ _,_ _ **Fusion0104**_ _,_ _ **soulxspirit125**_ _,_ _ **woofyy**_ _,_ _ **Light Sunshine**_ _^^(I really hope I didn't forget anyone this time… I'm really sorry about last time…)_

 _I really love to read them so really thank you guys :D_

 _Well, I think that's it. Till next week! (hopefully)_

 _Ja ne_


	8. Purple spark

_Hello guys!_

 _Sorry for the wait ^^' I've been really busy this week and when I wasn't, I had no inspiration. At all. So well, it took some time alright... *sighs* but here it is :)_

 _Thanks to every person you reviewed, followed, favorited and read this story ^^ And this story got past the 100 reviews *o* Thank you so much guys :D Love you all!_

 _Thanks to my beta **Kishoto** as well ^^ And I hope you all enjoy this chapter :)_

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own SnS.

* * *

 **Chapter 8 : Purple spark**

* * *

 _It's warm..._

Erina's head was resting on Sōma's back as she held onto him as they travelled down the road on his moped.

They were currently on their way back to the Nakiri mansion. After eating their parfaits and looking at some other fishes, they had decided to make their way back home. After all, it had been almost 6 p.m. by then.

 _This feeling...I might get used to it._

The wind rushing by her sides, the warmth being emitted from the boy in her arms through his shirt...riding in a car couldn't bring such a feeling. It was...different. But a good different.

Though, there was no way she'd just tell him that. She wouldn't hear the end of it...and her pride just wouldn't allow it.

But, if we're talking about things she wouldn't admit, there's this too. Being on a date with him had been fun. She wouldn't mind going on another if they're like this one.

 _These two weeks might not be so bad._

* * *

 _I'm taking that back. These two weeks are going to be hell._

 _ **Ten minutes before, Nakiri mansion**_

The door clicked behind her and Erina sighed in relief. She had made it...but it didn't really spare her anyway...

"Erina?"

The blonde looked up to discover her cousin looking curiously at her. They observed each other in silence before Erina broke it.

"What is it?" she asked in slight annoyance.

"I know you must have really liked the aquarium but I didn't expect you to jump in to join the fishes..." the red-eyed girl simply stated, a curious look still present in her eyes.

"I did not!" the blonde exclaimed in indignation. "Who do you think I am?" she asked as she crossed her arms.

"Normally, I wouldn't have doubted you," Alice started and Erina threw her a 'Right...well, I sure am doubting that now...' look but she ignored it and continued "but it's really hard to believe you when you're in this state..." Alice finished as her red eyes swept over her cousin's figure.

The blonde was soaking wet. Her clothes were clinging to her and dripping water on the floor. Looking closer, she could see a puddle of water slowly forming at her feet. In her state, it wasn't weird that she had emitted this hypothesis...

Red eyes looked up to meet purple ones.

They held each other's gaze for some time before the white-haired girl sighed and shook her head in disapproval. A vein pulsed on Erina's temple at her actions.

"What are you sighing for?!" Erina snapped, "It's pouring out there! It's raining! I didn't jump into any of the tanks!"

"Oh? You're right, it's raining." Alice said as she looked outside the nearest window curiously, one hand keeping the curtain from falling before her eyes.

It seemed that she believed her now. But really, it's not as if she would have jumped in...even if she would have enjoyed it. Hmm...maybe she should build an aquarium for her personal use...

Wait.

Just a second.

She hadn't told Alice where they had gone...she hadn't even known it herself before she got there and she didn't send any messages to anyone during the date, not even to Hisako...

Her eyes squinted in suspicion as she eyed the seemingly innocent girl admiring the falling water.

"Alice?"

"Hmm?" she replied, innocently throwing her a glance from over her shoulder.

"...How do you know where we went? Did Yukihira-kun tell you?" Erina asked slowly and distinctively.

"Huh?" the girl looked at her in confusion for a moment as if processing the words before replying. "No, he didn't."

"Then how did you know?" Erina asked in dread. Something was telling her that she wouldn't like the answer...

"Oh! I received some pictures of you two and I deduced it from them." Alice stated, smiling as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Eh? Pictures?" It was Erina's turn to be confused. Though, it wasn't long before anger took its place. "...You dared to send your dog after us?" she accused darkly as she painted the atmosphere surrounding her black.

Alice slightly cocked her head to the side seemingly unaffected by her cousin's mood.

"What are you talking about? Ryō's been locked up in his room all afternoon after saying something about maintaining his body." Alice pouted and crossed her arms before adding "He even threw me out of there after saying that I was distracting him. Hidoi..."

The dark atmosphere vanished as confusion overtook Erina once more. "Eh? Then who…?" the blonde wondered as she rested her chin on her loose fist. "...where is Hisako?"

A shriek could be heard and after a flash of purple, her aide was standing in front of her shaking her head and hands flailing, as she frantically denied it "It's not me! I didn't do it! I wouldn't have followed you during your outing without your permission, much less sent pictures to every person in the school!"

Upon realizing what she had just said, Hisako's hands flew to her mouth before her pink eyes slowly looked up in dread.

Erina's face was unreadable. The only thing betraying her feelings was the slightly dark aura slowly escaping from her.

After a tense silence, Erina's voice rose "Can I see those pictures?"

It was so emotionless that it was actually scarier than her dark voice. Hisako went cold as she shakily lifted her phone for her to take, lowering her head.

Erina took it and her eyes slowly lowered to the screen.

Hisako closed her eyes, not wanting to see what was sure to happen next. Surely enough, a second later, she could feel the atmosphere darken in front of her to a point that she had previously thought impossible.

She could feel sweat pearl onto her skin.

"Hisako" Erina's voice was dark when she called her, darker than it had ever been before. Hisako stubbornly kept looking down as she answered with a little "Hai?" and waited for her to speak.

" _Find them_."

Those two words were completely filled with fury and Hisako felt momentarily bad for the person who awoke Erina's wrath as a cold shiver ran down her spine. As she watched Erina's figure disappear towards the bathroom - probably to take a hot bath, she was still drenched after all - only one thought came to her mind.

 _There will be hell to pay._

* * *

 ** _Polar Star dorm_**

"I'm back!" Sōma announced as he entered through one of the back doors after parking his bike in the shelter behind the dorm.

"Welcome back." Fumio-san greeted as she passed by him on her way to the kitchen. After briefly glancing at him, she added "Go take a bath and get out of those clothes. You'll catch a cold." before disappearing towards the kitchen.

Looking down at himself, Sōma sighed. He was totally drenched. The rain sure hadn't missed him...but then again, it's not as if he had had an umbrella - it would've been hard to hold it anyway - or something to protect himself from the rain while riding so it was really just an expected result.

"Hai." he sighed.

He was about to make his way upstairs when he noticed his dorm mates in a circle around the table. They were all looking at their phone screens and whispering about something. He approached them but they didn't even notice him. They were still talking but he couldn't really make out the words so he resigned himself to look at the screens over their shoulders.

"Oh. Good pictures...Didn't realize someone was following us though..." Sōma commented, impressed as he eyed the pictures attentively, leaning in to get a better view.

They all jumped in surprise and their heads shot up to look at him.

Yoshino was the first one to recover from his sudden appearance. "Yukihira! When did you get there?"

He blinked at her as he looked down "Hmm? Just now actually."

"Is that so…" she replied before letting out an embarrassed laugh. It didn't last long because the next second she was barking at him. "Eeeeeek! Get out of here and dry up! You're dripping on me here!"

"Oh right." Sōma nonchalantly answered as he took a strand of wet hair between his fingers and examined it for a second before letting it go as he let his hand fall back to his side. It was dripping alright. Oh well, he really should go and take a bath now.

He took the direction of the stairs to head to his room and grab a change of clothes before heading to the bath, completely ignoring Yoshino's complaints as she discovered the puddles of water he had left behind. She was on cleaning duty this week…

A bath. There was nothing better than a bath to warm up.

Sōma smiled as he entered the bathroom, carelessly letting his clothes fall in a pile at his feet near the bathtub as he took them off.

 _Much better..._ The redhead thought as he stretched a little. His clothes had been clinging to him. Uncomfortable...

He quickly scrubbed himself clean before rinsing himself and slowly slipping into the hot water.

 _Ah..._ Sōma sighed contentedly as he let his head rest against the edge of the tub. This was just...perfect.

As he closed his eyes to fully enjoy his bath, the pictures popped up in his mind and his brows furrowed slightly.

There were four pictures.

The first one had been taken when they were in the tunnel, just after he had crashed into her. On it, you could see Sōma's hands flat against the glass with Erina trapped in his arms from the side. Whoever took it did an excellent job. From this point of view, all you could see was their profile and it totally looked like they were kissing...with closed eyes and all. Impressive. To wait for the exact moment when they had both blinked with no visible gap between their lips...truly impressive.

The next two pictures were taken when they were in the underwater room. You could clearly see both of them leaning against the Mexican fish's tank. Sōma's right arm had been resting against the glass just above Erina's head, and his left hand had been flat against the tank just next to Erina's waist. Like for the first one, on the second picture you could see them kissing. The third one was slightly different. You could see a flushed Erina as Sōma seemed to be kissing her neck.

The last picture was the most innocent one. This one had been taken when they were eating their parfaits. They looked really happy...as if they were totally enjoying the moment - which was actually the only thing that really happened. Erina had been slightly flushed here as well as he was smiling at her delightfully.

Sōma's eyebrows furrowed even more.

He hadn't been aware he had been making that face. This...this face...this look...he had seen it before. Not on himself but on his father's face... He often looked like that when he looked at his mother. It was the same...the same expression, the same look, everything.

What was that supposed to mean...?

His parents had been lovers, a married couple completely head over heels each other but he and Nakiri were just pretending...right? Maybe he had just been completely immersed in his role. But the thing was...

He hadn't been acting at the time.

Actually, he never really was acting when he was around her. He just followed his instincts and most of the things he had done, he did on a whim. Even the occasional kiss on the forehead the other day. Though, at that time, he had mostly wanted to see what kind of face she would make.

Sōma let out a deep chuckle as her red face came to mind. It had been totally worth it. For some reason, it seemed like he was set on teasing her these days. He wanted to see what other faces she'd make in response. That was probably why he had trapped her like that in that underwater room...

He was pulled out of his thoughts by a ringtone.

As he realized it was his, he briefly wondered why he could hear it so clearly before he remembered that he hadn't taken his phone out of his pocket. He had been so focused on the upcoming bath that he had forgotten all about it...

He straightened up and reached out for his pants. Three seconds later, he pulled it out of his soaked pocket - he was glad he had invested in a waterproof phone - and looked at the screen. His eyebrows went up as he saw the name being displayed - well, it was a nickname but well...

It was 'Princess'.

 _Nakiri?_

Sōma had jokingly saved her number under this name when they had exchanged numbers earlier that day, after he had lost her. The blonde had been stuck in front of the dolphins' tank and he hadn't realized she had stopped walking. It's only when he had arrived in the next room that he saw that she wasn't behind him... Needless to say, after that, he had refused to let go of her hand again until they had made it to the café.

 _What does she want?_ Sōma thought as he answered.

"Hello?"

"..."

"Hello? Nakiri?"

"..."

Weird... Sōma pulled the phone from his ear and looked at the screen. It was connected. Bringing it back to his ear, he tried once again.

"Nakiri?"

"... _How can you sound so nonchalant_? "

Sōma blinked as he absently noted that her voice sounded a little higher than usual. "What do you mean? I always sound like this."

"..."

He could hear her mutter something under her breath but couldn't make out the words so he simply waited.

" _… Anyway, that's not why I'm calling you._ "

"Yeah, I was wondering about that."

" _... I want you to refrain from doing what you did today in the future._ "

"Why? Aren't I supposed to be your lover?" Sōma asked, slightly confused about what she was talking about before it hit him. "Oh, you're talking about the pictures?"

There was a long silence during which Sōma wondered if she had hung up before she spoke up once again.

" _... If you understand then stop._ "

Her voice was hard. Looks like she wasn't too pleased with him... Well, she rarely seemed pleased around him anyway. Today was an exception.

Sōma smirked in response to her statement. "Why should I?"

" _... I do not need to have indecent pictures released all over the academy so you will do as I say._ "

There was a tense silence once again before Sōma sighed and plunged deeper in the water, causing said water to move and part of it went over the edge after loudly crashing against the edge.

"Well, it's not like we really did what the pictures suggest so I don't see where the problem is."

" _... You don't see where the problem is..."_ Oh, she was pissed. Her voice rose _"I certainly do and -_ "

Sōma waited for the rest but when it didn't come, he shifted and let his elbow rest on the edge of the tub as he combed his hair backwards to get the bangs out of his eyes with his other hand.

"Nakiri?"

" _Yukihira-kun...where are you right now?_ "Erina's voice had lost its animosity and it was slightly shaking.

"Hmm? I'm in the bath, why?"

"..."

The silence lasted for at least a minute before she broke it once again.

" _Why did you even answer?!_ "

"Eh? Because you called...?" Sōma answered in an 'I don't get why you're asking when it's that obvious' tone.

"... _Forget it. I'm hanging up._ "

"Huh? No 'good night' for your boyfriend?" Sōma teased.

"..."

The only answer he got was silence then a _beep_ signalling the end of the call.

Sōma chuckled and closed his eyes for a second before pushing himself out of the bathtub.

He had stayed long enough in there.

* * *

Somewhere in the academy, someone placed the corner of their phone between their lips as said lips stretched into a cunning smile. _Now come at me, Nakiri Erina! I'll finally have my revenge!_ They thought as a dark laugh resounded all throughout the room.

* * *

 _Unbelievable._

Erina thought as she sat down on her bed. She was still flushed from the conversation she had just had with the redhead but she was recovering.

 _This guy…answering while he was in the bath…_

She quickly shook her head to dislodge the image of a naked Sōma bathing as blood rushed to her cheeks once again.

This wasn't the time to get embarrassed over stuff like that. The whole academy had received those pictures and they probably didn't even think that it hadn't happen that way… Now, everyone probably thought that she had done those things with Yukihira-kun… She was trying to kill those rumors, not create more damn it!

She'd find the person responsible. She'd find them and make them pay.

A cold smile spread onto her lips as her eyes gained a dangerous glint.

They wouldn't get away with this. She was going to make sure of it.

* * *

 _End of chapter 8. Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed :) We'll know more about the mystery person in next chapter._

Hidoi _could be translated as cruel, horrible or mean but I didn't really find a satisfactory translation._

Answer to guest review :

 **Sorina :** Okay ^^ Glad you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it :D I wish there'd be more Sorina moments in the manga too but well... I don't think that will happen anytime soon XD We're still in the middle of Central's arc after all. But I like it anyway ;) The update was kinda late but well... Anyway, thanks for reviewing :)

 _Thanks to **raydark182** , **TheBaka14** , **|Hypocrisy|** , **Erasels** , **CoyoteSage** , **Eramis8** , **Aris0114** , **evolvelove** , **Theblackbird123** , **SsinofRoses** (our happy 100th reviewer! ^^), **Fusion0104** (thanks for the pictures' idea too ;) ), **anzlie** , **haha77** , **al lara** **2799** , **Light Sunshine** and **soulxspirit125** as well :D_

 _Hearing from you never fails to make my day :) It's motivating too XD_

 _That said, I might be busy this week as well. So, next chapter might be kinda late too ^^'_

 _Ja ne_


	9. Who's the incendiary?

_Hello guys!_

 _I'm sorry it took so long! I was really busy these past two weeks… But here it is! …finally. ^^' Well; not what I expected once again but then again, there never really was a time when it was so… lol._

 _Anyway, thanks to everyone who read, followed, favorited, and reviewed! I love you guys :D_

 _Thanks to my beta reader_ _ **Kishoto**_ _:D_

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own Shokugeki no Soma

* * *

 **Chapter 9 : Who's the incendiary?**

* * *

 _ **Sunday morning**_

That Sunday morning was like every other. Tōtsuki academy was quiet as students who had managed to survive one more week were enjoying this little rest they had before heading back to hell once again while others were up and about to go and enjoy this day by going out in the field or just taking a walk.

Somewhere, near a furnished forest, the chirping of birds could be heard. The forest was quiet as wind slowly blew through the leaves, making a refreshing sound that one could spend hours listening to. It was calming and just so relaxing. A river serenely following its course could be heard as it went over the rocks and made the forest seem a little more alive.

Repetitive and rapid sounds came and broke the quietness of this morning. Flashes of purple could be seen in between the trees as the sound grew closer to the end of the roughly delimited path.

Eventually, a teenage girl emerged. Short purple hair caught the morning sun as pink highlights were created. The girl continued on her way and at last, reached the entrance of a grand mansion which she crossed without a second thought after nodding to one of the guards.

Once inside the mansion, she went up the stairs, turned around a corner and stopped before a closed door before knocking.

...

 _ **Toc toc toc**_

"Come in."

Erina looked up from the paper she was writing on her desk to see her secretary and friend enter the room.

"Good morning Erina-sama."

"Good morning Hisako." she greeted back.

"I've found the information you wanted." Hisako said as she presented her boss with a thin file.

The purple-haired teen had been running left and right since the night before to get Intel on the mysterious photographer. It hadn't been easy since they had used an anonymous address to send all of the emails from a public computer. Not giving up, she had contacted the aquarium where the couple had went the day before and asked them to send her the footage of their security cameras. They had been reluctant until she mentioned the name Nakiri. After that, they had been really cooperative and had even sent some free tickets for them to use when they'd like, along with the footage, in less than an hour.

From there, she had closely watched the recording for a person following the two from a distance which was small enough to take neat pictures and never crossed paths with the two. After thirty minutes, she had succeeded in pinpointing one person who matched those criteria. Hisako had zoomed and once she had been able to see their face - despite the hood they had been wearing - she had immediately gone through the students ID and found the person she was looking for. Then, she did some complementary research on this person before immediately going off to the Nakiri mansion to present the results to her boss.

It had been a little tiring but the contented smirk spreading on Erina's lips as she finished looking over the file was totally worth it. Erina was pleased with her work and that was all that really mattered.

"Good work." Erina praised as she sent a satisfied smile to her aide who smiled in return.

Now that she had Erina's approval, Hisako felt tiredness sinking in her body. Thinking back, she hadn't slept at all the night before. No wonder she was feeling tired now.

She swiftly excused herself and headed in the direction of her room. Since today was Sunday, she could catch some sleep before having to attend to her boss for the rest of the day.

Well set on doing just that, she opened the door leading to her room, let herself fall face first on her bed and quickly closed her eyes as slumber took her consciousness away.

* * *

At the same time in the Polar Star dorm, a groggy red head was fighting off the last remnants of sleep. His eyeballs slowly moved under their lids as they slowly came apart. Golden eyes gradually focused on the ceiling only to shoot open in surprise as their owner clenched the sheets beneath him.

Staring down at him were two smiling turquoise eyes.

Sōma stared unblinkingly at his smiling senpai as the surprise slowly started to fade away - he really shouldn't have been in the first place. This wasn't the first time he woke up to his senpai's ever smiling face, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. Even if he dearly wished he wouldn't do that again. There was no dissuading Isshiki-senpai from coming to wake him up through the ceiling. He had tried countless times and he had failed just as many times.

He closed his eyes as a sigh escaped the younger teen's lips.

"What is it?" Sōma asked, resigned.

"Won't you come and help out in the garden?" Isshiki asked in return, the smile never leaving his lips.

Sōma just looked at him in silence as he wondered if he'd just give up if he told him that he was super tired from his week and wanted to rest some more. Plus he wasn't feeling so well. His head was heavier than usual and his throat was slightly uncomfortable, especially when he swallowed. He vaguely remembered his mom fussing over him when he was feeling like that in the past. He smiled faintly at the memory and closed his eyes.

"Sōma-kun? Aren't you coming?"

Oh right. Isshiki-senpai was still waiting for an answer. Sōma frowned slightly. Dozing off like that really wasn't like him. He was definitely not feeling well.

"Actually, I think I'll rest some more so I'll pass for today."

"Don't say that! Working out a good sweat is good for your body." Isshiki said as he smiled even wider than before.

Sōma only sighed once more before sitting up - he felt a little dizzy as he did so but pushed it aside - as he picked some clothes and standing up to make his way to the garden.

...

Three hours later, Sōma collapsed on his bed, completely drained of all energy. Indeed, he had felt a little better while working out outside - he always enjoyed the time he spent with his dorm mates - but now, he only wanted to rest. He should probably go and take a shower but now that he was lying down, he couldn't find even an ounce of strength left to get back up on his own two feet.

 _Five minutes. I'll rest for five minutes and then I'm gonna get up._

...

When he next opened his eyes, he was feeling even worse than that morning. He was feeling incredibly hot and if someone had told him that some people had had fun bringing a mass down on his head while he was out, he would have believed them without hesitation since the headache he was feeling was really intense.

He didn't know how much time had passed since he had closed his eyes but he had to go and take a shower now. He could feel his clothes sticking to his skin and it was highly uncomfortable.

He slowly placed his hands flat against the mattress and pushed against it to straighten up. His head was heavy and he was dizzy from the movement he had just made so he stopped moving for a moment before slowly standing and making his way to the common bathroom after blindly grabbing some clothes.

Since he wasn't feeling well, he opted for a simple shower.

He carefully scrubbed himself clean and started the shower head to rinse himself. As he stood under the warm water, he slowly closed his eyes and simply enjoyed the feeling of the water flowing over him. It was calming.

He would have stayed there forever but his head soon decided to pound once again. So he turned the water off, grabbed his towel to dry himself and left the bathroom once he was dressed once again.

He didn't meet up with anyone on his way back to his room but he could hear noise downstairs so he assumed they were down there, laughing about something. Paying it no further heed, Sōma entered his room, placed his dirty clothes away and slipped under his covers to get some well needed rest.

The last thing he heard before slipping into a dreamless sleep was the cheerful laughter of his dorm mates downstairs.

...

Something was cold on his forehead. He wasn't awake enough to actually know what it was but it felt good.

Too soon, the cool object was moved away from his forehead and out of reach. He frowned slightly but soon let sleep take him away once again.

...

Golden eyes cracked open and slowly focused on their surroundings. The dorm ceiling was the first to come into view. Judging by the light filtering in, it was already late in the afternoon. Almost night actually since it was a little reddish. Anyway, he was in his room. But something felt different.

Now that he acknowledged it, he felt something on his forehead. Sticking out his hand to grab it, he found himself staring at a small white towel. He placed it next to him and was about to look around his room to discover just what was making it different than before when he heard the door opening. On instinct, he closed his eyes and evened his breath.

Next, he heard footsteps coming closer to him and stopping just next to his bed. Then, a weight made itself known on his bed. He wondered just who was there but for some reason, he didn't feel like opening his eyes just yet. He wanted to see what would happen next.

He wasn't disappointed since soon enough a cold object was placed on his forehead. He identified it as a hand and he could surely hear a quiet sigh of relief. He expected it to retract itself but to his surprise, it made its way to his hair, shyly at first, as if afraid of touching it, then more surely but nonetheless gently. He was even more surprised when he felt those delicate fingers gently caressing his hair.

Slowly, Sōma opened his eyes and soon found himself staring into startled purple eyes.

Silence settled over them and the fingers stopped moving until their blonde owner reddened in embarrassment at being caught before evading his gaze and hastily retreating her hand, or rather she tried to but a bigger hand caught hers and stopped the movement.

Her head shot up and confusion could be seen in her eyes as she stared at him in embarrassed surprise.

Sōma just stared at her in silence before his gaze slid down to the hand caught in his. He had done it on reflex and hadn't really realized what he was doing until he had done it. But now, he had to wonder. What was Erina doing here? He couldn't recall them agreeing on meeting that day so why was she here?

Sōma was honestly confused about this.

He looked back up into her eyes and finally broke the silence.

"Why are you here?" Sōma asked simply.

Erina blushed some more before she once again avoided his eyes. Indeed, just how did she end up here?

* * *

 _ **Earlier that day, Nakiri mansion**_

"How dare he?!"

Erina was fuming. This was the third time. The third time she had called. And the third time she had reached the voicemail.

 _This guy...! How dare he..._

He was supposed to answer when she called! The first time it happened, she had just thought he couldn't answer, maybe he was in the bath or something like that so she had let it slide. The second time, she had thought that maybe she had called at a wrong time once again by some strange coincidence. But this was the THIRD time. The third time!

You know what they say? The first time is a coincidence, the second is suspicious and the third is on purpose. ...or maybe they don't. But they definitely should.

Anyway, the fact was that he hadn't answered any of her calls. And it was really, really irritating.

The blonde started to drum her fingers on her desk in irritation. She had wanted to finish the conversation they had started last night since she had ...kind of hung up on him after finding out that he was in his bath.

But hey, he shouldn't have answered in the first place. This was totally his fault.

Anyways, she had to talk with him. And he wasn't answering. This was ...great. Just. Great. How was she supposed to discuss with him now?

 _...Oh! That's right! I can do that..._

Erina took out her phone and speed dialed #1.

"Hisako?"

" _Hai Erina-sama? What can I do for you?_ "

"Get my car ready."

" _Sure. What's your destination?_ "

Erina smirked. "Polar Star dorm."

...

Ten minutes later, she had arrived to her destination.

The princess royally dismounted the car and stared at the dorm outside. This place was...definitely creepy. Just how could people live in... _that_.

She stayed there for a moment before shaking her head and determinedly making her way to the front door.

She knocked to make her presence known and cautiously entered after waiting for a few moments without seeing anyone coming. Once inside, she stopped in her tracks as she stared around her, completely taken aback. The inside was such a contrast from the outside! It was more grandiose than creepy - even if it was still nowhere near the grandeur of her mansion. Nonetheless, it was not so bad.

But that was beside the point.

Now that she was here, the only thing she had left to do was finding Yukihira. That could prove to be a challenge given the fact that she had never been there before and thus had no idea where his room was located. Add to that the fact that she had never actually asked him - she had had no reason to do that - and the result was a completely lost and out of place Nakiri Erina.

She was standing there, wondering what to do when someone called out to her.

"Nakiri-kun?"

She immediately recognized it as Isshiki's and turned in the direction it was coming from.

"Isshiki-senpai?"

The turquoise-eyed teen approached her and Erina froze in surprise. The guy was wearing nothing more than a fudoshi! How could he even wear that kind of thing? She had never seen him in anything else than his uniform so it really was a big shock.

She blinked slowly and when he came back into view, he was wearing his usual uniform.

...weird. Maybe she had just imagined it in the end. That must be it. There was just no way he would wear that after all. ...right?

Isshiki's voice brought her out of her musings.

"I didn't expect to see you here. Do you have some business with me?" he asked smiling.

"Well, I hadn't planned to come here today. Actually, the one I'm visiting is Yukihira-kun. Can you tell me where he is?" she explained dutifully.

Isshiki had a second of surprise before understanding dawned on him. He took a pensive stance as he thought about the possible location of his junior.

"Hmm... I think he might be in his room right now. He disappeared after 10 and he said something about wanting to rest."

"Oh, okay. Thank you. Could you tell me how to get there too please?"

After the complementary explanations, she set off to Sōma's room.

 _So... 301...302...303! Found it._

She knocked once and stormed in without waiting for an answer, now that she was in, she could see that doing that would have been useless since he seemed to be sleeping - though she only realized that after the lack of answer from the boy lying on his bed. She had gotten closer to him and had then reached this conclusion.

The redhead was really sleeping. And from what she had heard from Isshiki's-senpai, he had been since 10. It was already 2 p.m, so he had been sleeping for 4 hours already...

Erina let a breath escape her lips.

No wonder he hadn't answered. She felt a little stupid for thinking that he had been purposely ignoring her calls now...

Not wanting to think about that any more than necessary, she settled for looking at him as he slept. It wasn't often that she was in his presence without having the urge to strangle him after all so it was kind of refreshing. He seemed so peaceful...

His red hair was falling on his eyes and she reached out to brush them out of the way without really thinking about it, but as she did so, she felt a strong warmth emitting from the boy. Looking closely, he seemed to be perspiring a lot as well, with sweat pearling onto his skin.

Was he sick by any chance?

She placed her hand on his forehead to verify it and quickly pulled it back as if she had been burned - which wasn't very far from the truth. The boy was literally burning up! He was so hot that you could probably cook eggs on his forehead if you felt like it...

She was busy imagining it when it occurred to her.

Just what was she supposed to do now? Get out? Take care of him? She was supposed to be his girlfriend after all...so could she really leave like that? It'd be weird if she did that right? Would it be okay if she just left the task of taking care of him to someone else? Probably not…

 _Okay. No need to panic. I'm gonna figure something out._

The blonde started to walk back and forth across the room as she thought about all of her options. In the end, only one seemed to be okay.

Taking care of her sick 'boyfriend' by herself!

...this could prove to be a challenge. She had never had to take care of someone else before and she didn't know what to do at all. She couldn't even remember being taken care of when she had been sick. Actually, she couldn't even remember the last time she had been sick. Under these circumstances, just what was she supposed to do?

Erina froze when it dawned on her.

Why hadn't she thought about it before? It was so obvious after all. When she needed help, there was always one person who did everything they could to help her out of the pinch.

Hisako.

Taking out her phone, she speed dialed her and recounted the recent event to her.

Twenty minutes later, Erina came back into the room with a tray containing sports water, medicine and porridge - that she had made herself under her aide's instructions. She didn't get how such a simple and plebeian dish could be good for this kind of condition. Then again, when was such a dish supposed to be eaten...if she had a say in the matter, probably never...

But that was beside the point.

And so she sat next to the boy and waited for him to wake up after previously placing a wet towel on his forehead which she plunged in cold water every fifteen minutes.

After an hour, she had let herself get tempted by his hair - she was curious about their texture - and she hadn't regretted it. It was soft to the touch and she hadn't been able to stop herself from caressing it.

...

And that was how she had ended up in her current situation.

Staring into Yukihira's eyes as he was asking about the reason of her presence here. For some reason, she couldn't seem to find her voice to answer. She just wished something could get her out of here. An emergency, someone needing her help, something. Anything!

But nothing happened.

It was official. Kami-sama had something against her.

 _ **Ring ring ring**_

Or not. Maybe God was taking pity on her in the end.

Taking out her phone, she looked at the caller ID and was happy to see it was Hisako. She always seemed to be there when she needed it. She really was thankful to have a friend like her.

With that last thought, she took the call.

"...Hello?" ... "Hai." ... "Hai." "Hmm... Okay. I'll see you in a bit."

Hanging up, she looked up to her captor and spoke.

"I came to finish the conversation from last night but you didn't seem well so I took care of you for a bit. Be grateful." Erina stated. She had managed to regain her composure during that phone call.

Sōma just looked at her confusedly until comprehension dawned on him and his grip loosened a bit. It was just a bit but it was enough for Erina to free her hand - not aggressively but firmly nonetheless.

Golden eyes followed the movement as she stood up and dusted off her skirt.

"Oh. Thanks then. You're leaving?"

Purple eyes settled on him before their owner spoke.

"Yeah. I found a solution to this problem."

Sōma slightly cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Problem?"

"This stalker and photographer."

"Oh okay." he said. After a little pause he added "No goodbye kiss?" as he looked up at her beseechingly, with seemingly innocent eyes. His sickness gave them a glaze that shouldn't be allowed and Erina found herself faltering a little under his gaze.

She debated over it for two seconds before leaning in, swiftly kissing his forehead - like she had seen some people do in mangas in that situation - and straightening up.

"Get some rest." Erina ordered before making her way to the door, leaving a surprised Sōma in her wake.

For once, she wasn't the one subjected to his unexpected kisses and the look on his face was priceless. He surely hadn't expected her to comply. A satisfied smirk spread over her lips as she reached for the doorknob.

She was about to exit when Sōma's curious voice came to her once again.

"Wait. What's that solution you found?"

She smirked and answered confidently.

"Shokugeki."

* * *

 _That's it for chapter 9! Hope you enjoyed :)_

 _It was a little longer than the previous ones but in the end, I never actually revealed anything about the mystery person… Next chapter? Hopefully. Lol._

 _Answers to guest reviews :_

 **Sorina** : Glad it relieved you from a long day :) I was aiming for that XD Though I can't say the same for the mystery person… I'm not sure why everyone thinks that but well. Can't say too much since I didn't talk about them here in the end… -' Next chap? ^^' I'm happy to know that you're enjoying it ^^ And thank you :) Thanks for the review ;)

 **Guest** : Glad to know that you're enjoying this :) Thank you :D And thanks for reviewing :)

 _Thanks to all the registered reviewers too :D_ _ **raydark182**_ _,_ _ **Eramis8**_ _,_ _ **haha77**_ _,_ _ **Ryner50**_ _,_ _ **evolvelove**_ _,_ _ **Exercariver**_ _,_ _ **TheBaka14**_ _,_ _ **SHEhadMEatHELLO**_ _,_ _ **Theblackbird123**_ _,_ _ **Fusion0104**_ _,_ _ **xMIgBlaze**_ _,_ _ **Justinsj5**_ _,_ _ **Hypocrisy|**_ _,_ _ **MatchaWave**_ _,_ _ **Light Sunshine**_ _,_ _ **soulxspirit125**_ _, and_ _ **DustDes**_ _(hope I didn't miss anyone)_

 _So I'm not gonna try and predict anything for what's gonna happen next chap lol. Hopefully mystery person but it might turn out to be something else…_

 _So I'm gonna do my best to actually publish next week XD I'll probably be less busy :)_

 _Ja ne_


	10. Ignition of the purple fire

_Hello guys!_

 _So, I clearly underestimated the tiredness that comes with interning… Though it's not as bad as last time lol. Still, sorry for the wait._

 _Thanks for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing! ^^_

 _And special thanks to my beta_ _ **Kishoto**_ _:)_

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own Shokugeki no Soma.

* * *

 **Chapter 10 : Ignition of the purple fire**

* * *

 _ **Somewhere in Tōtsuki academy, Sunday afternoon**_

 _This is perfect._

A wicked smile spread on glossy lips as their owner relaxed in their chair, behind a computer desk.

Everything was going according to plan. She would pay, that Nakiri Erina would pay. She had made her first real friend suffer, now it was her turn to suffer like he did...

Despite their constant efforts in trying to make their relationship seem real, she had managed to see through them. Those two weren't really dating...and Nakiri Erina actually hated Yukihira Sōma's guts from what she had heard. However, she wondered about that last part. The blonde appeared to be totally smitten with the red head even if she herself didn't seem to realize it yet. Which was actually perfect. If she was aware of her growing feelings, there was a chance that her schemes wouldn't have affected her at all... And that would have been a pain in the ass because she would have had to put in a lot more effort to get a reaction.

It actually hadn't been that hard to get under the girl's skin. All it took were a few pictures showing her in compromising positions with her nemesis and she had the most influential girl on Tōtsuki's academy after her head.

She was no fool. She knew that there was no way that the princess actually wouldn't have her head if she could and would get her expelled the first chance she got.

She just didn't care. If she got her revenge, then nothing else mattered.

Now you're probably wondering why she'd go this far just to get her revenge. After all, everyone knew what had happened to the last person who had dared to publish trash about the princess. The poor Isato was still in that psychiatric institute...with apparently no possibility of leaving anytime soon. The guy had been traumatized for life... And from what she had heard, it was all Yukihira Sōma's fault. She sure as hell didn't want to cross paths with the lad. Who would want to be subjected to his hellish torture? Not her. Certainly not her.

But then again, even if she pitied the guy, she was actually grateful to him. After all, it was thanks to him that she had first thought about this plan. Not that she hadn't wanted to get revenge on the princess before, but before then, she just hadn't been able to find any of the girl's weak points. But now, thanks to that incident with Isato, she had. The blonde had one. A big one. And it was found in the person of Yukihira Sōma. For some reason, the blonde just couldn't stand the guy. This was even stranger since he appeared to be extremely sociable, even her cousin got along with the guy. So there really was no apparent reason as to why she wouldn't. Gut feeling? Hate at first sight? If love at first sight exists, then its opposite should as well.

Not that she could speak from personal experience. No, her desire for revenge was born from something deeper than that, from a long, long time ago...

It all started when she was still a middle school student.

She had just entered Tōtsuki and was having trouble finding her place since she didn't come from a rich family like the rest of her classmates. They treated her like trash and it hurt. It really did. When it happened, she would feel unwanted, unimportant, like everything about her was exactly what they said it was. Unneeded trash which just needed to be thrown away. They treated her whole existence as if it were nothing and barely acknowledged her, unless you were counting the insults they threw at her if they were forced to partner up with her in class.

You'd think this kind of thing wouldn't happen in such a prestigious school but it did. And she could attest to that.

When it happened, she would run away. Run away from the cold stares, run away from the cold glares, run away from their insults, run away from their disgusted attitude, run away from everything. She would run, run until her legs couldn't take her any farther, until she tripped and collapsed somewhere. And then she'd cry. Cry until tears wouldn't fall anymore, until she was just too tired to cry anymore.

On a particularly hot day, her classmates were complaining about the heat and she was in a corner of the classroom, as usual, trying to go unnoticed. She couldn't stand their scornful behaviors and tried to stay away from them as much as she could. Sometimes it would work, and sometimes it wouldn't.

That day, it hadn't.

 _ ***Flashback***_

 _A young girl was sitting in a corner of a lively classroom. She had dark violet hair and deep blue eyes that seemed empty. But it wasn't typical emptiness. This one seemed to have been caused by excessive sadness as her deformed facial traits seemed to recount._

 _Her name? Katsuna Yami._

 _She was a little above average in terms of beauty and at first, you wouldn't think that she'd be subjected to bullying but she was. Why? Because her family wasn't as rich as the others'. Maybe somewhere else it wouldn't have mattered, but here it did. Not for the institution itself but for her classmates, it certainly did. It really did._

 _So she had opted for shutting herself away completely and enduring it while doing her best in her studies and putting up a cheerful front for her parents who were working hard for her to be able to attend this school._

 _Tōtsuki Tea Ceremony and Cooking Academy._

 _The most famous and prestigious cooking school in all of Japan, and maybe even the whole world. All the leaders of the cooking world were Tōtsuki alumni. If you graduated from here, your future was assured. Just saying that you were enrolled here added to your value as a chef._

 _And her parents had chosen to send her there when she had expressed the wish to study cooking. They wanted her to have the best chances to succeed and had taken it upon themselves to work even harder to be able to pay the tuition fees despite their already heavy workloads._

 _Under those circumstances, just how could she just up and complain about this to her parents? She couldn't. She was doing well in her studies, after all. The problem was the atmosphere of her class. They wouldn't be able to change it, and they would just worry about her, even more than they already were._

 _So she sucked it up and endured it all. But she wasn't that strong. That's why sometimes she'd run far away and cry in the middle of the forest._

 _This day, everyone had ignored her so far. She was relieved about it and let her guard down a little._

 _She shouldn't have._

 _If she hadn't, maybe, just maybe she would have seen it happen. And then, maybe she could have avoided it._

 _But she hadn't. And so had no way of knowing what was about to happen._

 _After class, she stood up and rapidly made her way to the door. She was eager to finally leave this classroom and so she wasn't really paying attention to her surroundings and failed to notice the cold stares and vicious smirks her classmates were directing towards her._

 _As she slid the door to exit, it happened._

 _Sticky liquid poured down on her as a fallen bucket now adorned her head, hiding half of it in the process. She recognized it as honey by the smell and taste. It started to drip on the floor as she stood there, frozen on the spot._

 _There was a heavy silence for a long moment before it was broken apart by cold, derisive and mocking laughter._

 _That brought her out of her frozen state._

 _Yami could feel blood rushing to her face as it heated up. Shame and embarrassment overwhelmed her before both were overpowered by despair and despondency._

 _Without any conscious thought, her legs started to take her away from this place, from them, from their coldness and she ran._

 _When she stopped to catch her breath, she realized that she was already in the forest._

 _She was finally alone. With this awareness, her legs gave away and she fell to the ground. There, on her knees, she slowly started to cry before sending the bucket - which she hadn't bothered to take off before - flying some meters away from her and curling up in a ball._

 _Some time passed and before long, she could feel something crawling up her unmoving form. She slowly lifted her head to see what it was and promptly let out a loud scream filled with fear and horror._

 _There, crawling up her skin were ants. Hundreds of ants, probably attracted by the sweet smell of honey._

 _Her eyes widened and she could do nothing but stare in horror for a while until she felt bites all over her exposed skin._

 _That made her shoot up and she started to run away, desperately looking for something to get rid of them as tears started flowing down her cheeks once again. She was completely panicked and couldn't think straight. The pain was dulling her senses._

 _She would have run like that for a long time if someone hadn't taken it upon themselves to throw a bucket of water over her head. She felt hands guide her towards what looked to be a nearby locker room door before taking her to the bath, which was already filled with warm water._

 _She plunged in and scrubbed at herself desperately before deciding to just get rid of her uniform altogether, only keeping her underwear on._

 _Once she felt that all the honey and ants had been scrubbed off, she stepped out of the bath and saw that a bucket had been placed by the tub. She took the offered bucket and threw the water over herself, before feeling someone drape a towel over her shoulders._

 _"Are you okay now?" a deep voice from behind her asked._

 _She froze and slowly turned around to discover her savior._

 _They were wearing geta and a dark kimono. When she reached the top of this tall person, she discovered the gentle and slightly round face of a boy who didn't seem all that older than her. Maybe one year or two. No more. He was looking away from her, giving her some privacy._

 _Then it occurred to her that the boy was still waiting for an answer as his expression grew even more concerned and worried. So she slowly nodded and murmured her thanks as she took the offered towel and dried herself a little before wrapping it around her petite body._

 _He finally turned his head to face her and smiled gently, before offering her a large robe from a nearby hook._

 _Then he proposed to take her to the infirmary and as they walked he presented himself as Gōdabayashi Kiyoshi and started telling her about his dream. He wanted to be a part of the Chanko Nabe RS later and contribute to it._

 _She silently listened to him as he exposed his projects as tears slowly started to roll down her cheeks._

 _When he noticed her crying, he started flailing his arms around as panic came over him. He turned left and right as he wondered what to do before settling for leaning towards her and asking._

 _"Wh-why are you crying?" his voice held a panicky edge and a nervousness that he was unable to hide completely._

 _She quickly wiped away her tears and answered shakily "It's nothing, it's just that you're the first to be so kind to me here."_

 _Tears started flowing down once again and she tried to wipe them away once again but fresh ones replaced the ones she managed to wipe and she ended with her face in her hands, trying to hide them as she could._

 _"Here."_

 _Surprised, Yami looked up to see a handkerchief being presented to her by a slightly blushing Kiyoshi who was facing away from her._

 _"A maiden's face is no place for tears. Please use this...if you want."_

 _Yami gratefully took it as she thanked him._

 _"And...maybe we could be friends too?" he asked, still looking away as the pitch of his voice went higher towards the end._

 _Yami sniffed once or twice before nodding. Then it occurred to her that he couldn't really see her nod since he was looking away so she shyly voiced her agreement._

 _"I-I'd love to."_

 _"Really?" he asked as he quickly went back to facing her - almost whiplashing his neck in the process - as a big smile made its way to his face._

 _She nodded once more and let out a small laugh. Then, extending her hand towards him, she spoke up._

 _"I'm Katsuna Yami. Nice to meet you Kiyoshi-senpai." she smiled warmly and added, "You can call me Yacchan."_

 _Kiyoshi's face brightened up as he took her hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you Yacchan! Let's get along." he finished with a grin._

 _ ***End of flashback***_

After that Kiyoshi had taken her to the infirmary and since then, they had been good friends. She had wanted to join the Chan RS too but he had been uncomfortable with the idea - there were only boys in there - until she had said that she'd join as a photographer.

From that day onwards, things were much better. She refused to let her classmates step on her anymore and she proudly stood her ground. Her friendship with Kiyoshi had changed her and she was really happy about that. She would never be able to thank him enough for what he had done, heck, she couldn't even begin to express how much he had saved her. She wanted to be useful to him and support his dreams too.

But one day, everything came to an end.

That day, Nakiri Erina had challenged the Chan RS to a Shokugeki and as the head of the RS, Kiyoshi had gone to confront her and try to save it. But he had lost.

After the destruction, he just wasn't the same. He felt as if it was all his fault and his eyes had lost their spark.

But it wasn't. If it was someone's fault, then it was Nakiri Erina's. Everything was her fault. She had destroyed their RS and with it, a part of her friend was gone. She wouldn't let her get away with that. She'd get revenge for her friend, her first friend. She wouldn't let her be unpunished for this evil deed.

Ever since then, Yami had been looking for a way to get revenge on the girl, but to no avail. Nothing seemed to reach her.

She had been growing frustrated until she had heard her snap at someone who had asked her if she really was in love with Yukihira Sōma. This was the first time she had ever seen the girl so angry and affronted about something. That's when it clicked. She could use that to reach her goal! The transfer student would be her bait.

She had immediately started her plan and then Tuesday, she saw them enter the director's office hand in hand and exit fifteen minutes later. She hadn't lost any time and had immediately begun to spread the rumor about her being intimate with Yukihira in hopes of upsetting her.

And she hadn't been disappointed.

The next day, the girl had been even more enraged and hadn't failed to visit the poor journalist who had published that article. Knowing that she was the one behind his being taken away, she hadn't missed the chance to witness the results herself at lunch the next day and, to her greatest pleasure, the blonde had been totally furious and exhausted.

Yami didn't regret her actions in the least and had been careful to avoid being linked to those rumors at all.

But then, on Friday, she had heard that the two were going out.

This had seemed really weird. For the princess to change from not standing him to dating him in just a few short nights was a bit too much. And then, she had heard them bicker on their way to lunch and the lad had said something about her asking him out and then, comprehension had dawned on her. The prideful Nakiri Erina asking her nemesis out? She had done her homework and this screamed fake. Plus, she actually let him kiss her without saying a word earlier that same day? Right.

And so Yami had come to the only plausible conclusion. They were pretending. The guy seemed to have fun so she guessed he had gone along with it because he thought it'd be interesting or something like that. He DID seem to be the type to do something like that. Though she wasn't sure he'd do it with any girl...

But she was getting sidetracked.

The fact was that this situation was only to her advantage.

That said, coming across them on Saturday at the aquarium had been pure luck. She just had the urge to go that day and now she was really thankful that she had. If not, she never would have been able to take those pictures. Actually, she had taken more than four but she only used the most compromising ones.

Now, all she had to do was wait until the princess came to her to seek revenge not knowing that she herself was seeking it as well.

This was perfect. It really was.

She had prepared for that day and she was ready to confront her. An evil smirk spread on her lips as she opened her deep blue eyes.

 _Come, Nakiri Erina. Come at me with all you've got...!_

She thought as she caressed a picture of the Chan RS members that she had taken before.

 _Soon, very soon, you'll all be avenged._

* * *

Erina sneezed.

She carefully blew her nose into a handkerchief before putting it away and resuming reading the file that Hisako had brought that morning. It contained all the information she could want about her stalker and the infamous photographer who had dared to spread those pictures around.

As she looked at the picture which was adjoined, she read through the girl's details.

Katsuna Yami was a cute girl with shoulder length dark violet hair and deep blue eyes. If she hadn't known for a fact that she was the one behind the pictures' rapid spread, she never would have thought it possible for such an innocent girl to be behind it all. She seemed rather sweet on this picture as a small smile adorned her lips... You really can't judge a book by its cover.

As she went over her information, one detail caught her attention.

 _This...!_

She could use this! She had been wondering how to punish her. She couldn't really just give her the same punishment she had given Kosori Isato so she had been pondering over it for some time now. But now she knew just how she'd make the girl regret her affront.

A contented smile stretched her rosy lips as she turned around to face the window giving view to the outside of the manor.

Now, all she needed to do was challenge her to a Shokugeki and everything would be set into motion.

* * *

 _ **Polar Star dorm, Sunday evening**_

Golden eyes slowly opened and focused on the ceiling as their owner finally came out of his slumber.

Sōma had been sleeping ever since the blonde had left him. ...well, not exactly actually. He had eaten porridge that she had made for him before that. To the surprise of absolutely no one, it had been delicious even if it had just been a simple 'plebeian' dish as she would have said. The mere fact that she had cooked it was something already.

He let out a breath before slowly sitting up. Now he was feeling much better. Having someone taking care of you was really great. He didn't get sick often so it rarely happened. Last time was when -

Sōma shook his head as he dismissed the thought. Thinking about it would only make him melancholic.

Anyway, he'd better get down now. His dorm mates must have been worried not to see him for all of the afternoon. He had left them at ten and then he had just stayed in his room until it was starting to darken outside...

Speaking about that, what time was it?

Golden eyes scanned the room for his phone and he found it lying on his nightstand. He reached for it and lit the screen. It showed 18:00.

 _Hmm... I slept for like eight hours._

Putting his phone back down, he slowly stood up and made his way for the door. As soon as he had passed the threshold, voices made their way to his ears. He followed them and ended up in Marui's room. Apparently, they were having a mini party once again and chatting happily.

As he entered, Sakaki spotted him and greeted him.

"Hey Yukihira-kun. Slept well?"

At his name, Megumi tensed and focused her attention on the half empty glass resting next to her. She had seen Nakiri-san in the dorm kitchen and she had easily guessed who it was she was visiting since Isshiki-senpai had been lightly chatting - or rather teasing her - by her side in his uniform, which was unusual for him. Never would she have thought that he would have the decency to put it on so as to not shock their guest... He must have been in an indulgent mood.

Sōma's voice brought her out of his musings.

"Yeah. I feel much better now. Is there any rice juice left?"

Sakaki smirked conspiratorially as she lifted a half empty bottle and a glass to him.

"Of course! I kept some for you." she added with a wink.

"Really? Thanks!" Sōma said with a grin as he accepted the offered glass.

As he sat down next to Ibusaki, Daigo turned towards him and asked "So, how's it going with your girl Yukihira?"

The redhead stared blankly at him for a few seconds as he wondered just who he was referring to before he blinked as understanding dawned on him.

"Oh, Nakiri? It's okay I guess." he couldn't really say much since they weren't supposed to know that they were just pretending and all. Plus, it really was going fine so he wasn't even lying there.

Megumi flinched as the air seemed to gain in density.

Oblivious to the sudden tense mood, Shoji snickered and elbowed the golden-eyed boy.

"Just okay? You were all alone in your room for at least two hours man." he said suggestively.

Megumi flinched once again. She really didn't want to think about the possible implications of the two being alone in a room for that much time...

Noticing her change of behavior, Yūki intervened and stopped them from teasing the guy any further.

"Hey boys! Don't talk about things like that here!" she exclaimed.

"Why?" the two asked in unison before Daigo added "Weren't you curious about it as well?"

Yūki's expression shifted to a more uncomfortable one as she tried to evade the question "Well... That is... We shouldn't pry into Yukihira's privacy." she said, unconvincingly.

They had been right. She was curious about it. Especially after seeing those ambiguous pictures... He hadn't even said anything about them except that they were really good ones... What was that supposed to mean? Did he really kiss her in that aquarium they had went to? Who wouldn't want to know about that?

But talking about that kind of thing with Megumi around would only hurt the girl. So she bit down her curiosity for the sake of her friend.

"Did you kiss?" Shoji asked discreetly, or rather tried to. He was speaking loud enough to be heard by the girls around them...

"Guys...!" Yūki reprimanded before Sōma cut her off.

"Hmm... I'm not sure Nakiri would appreciate me telling other people about that kind of thing." the redhead said as he took a pensive stance. He could still remember her snapping at him about the pictures where they could be seen 'kissing'... Not that he really minded. If anything, he had been impressed by the photographer's skills while the blonde hadn't been that pleased with them...

But the fact was that he hadn't denied it.

At the implication of this, blushes rose on Yūki, Shoji and Daigo's faces as their eyes widened.

They were still trying to regain their ability to speak when Megumi abruptly rose from where she had been sitting.

After some moments of silence passed, she spoke up "I'm a little tired. I'm going back to my room."

Yūki could only stare after her retreating figure before she turned towards the two idiots and hit the back of both their heads.

"Hey! What was that for?!" they shouted in unison.

Yūki just harrumphed, ignoring their question as she resumed sipping her rice juice. The two guys started pestering her for an answer and Sōma was left in peace for a moment.

 _I wonder what Nakiri's got in mind... She did say that she would have a Shokugeki with them. That must mean that she found the identity of this mystery photographer._

He sipped at his juice once again before refocusing on his bickering dorm mates.

 _No use thinking about that now, I'll found out sooner or later._

And with that last thought, he stood up to go grab something from the kitchenette. A party wasn't a party without something to eat after all.

* * *

Some doors away, Megumi was sitting on her bed in the darkness of her room. She had known that it wouldn't work out but...she didn't want to hear about those things.

Lifting her head up, she saw light filtering through the window. Standing up, she made her way to it and lifted the curtain to peek at the moon.

It was full. It was really beautiful to look at but she soon let the curtain fall back once again hiding it from view once again.

Maybe that's what she should do regarding her feelings towards the boy. Maybe she should just let the curtain fall and hide it from view. That way she might be able to forget about him.

With that last thought she made her way to the door and exited the room before closing it behind her leaving a seemingly dark room in her wake. As soon as she closed the door, a moon ray found its way into the room, gently bathing it in its light as if wanting to tell her that there'll always be light to tear darkness apart.

* * *

 _And cut! Hope you enjoyed :)_

 _Answers to guest reviews :_

 **Sorina:** Sorry for the long wait… Life got in the way… But glad that you enjoyed it ^^ Oh? Are you able to see through me already? Lol XD You're super welcome x3 ;) I can't believe it either XD It just seems that I posted the first chapter yesterday lol. Huh? I wanna read it! Title please :D And it's fine :) I talk a lot myself lol XD Thank you :) and thanks for reviewing ;D

 **JeGosu** : Glad to know you liked it :) And here is the new chapter! :D Hope you enjoyed this one too :) They probably will at some point ;) Thanks for the review :)

 _Thanks to the registered reviewers :_ _ **raydark182**_ _,_ _ **Hypocrisy|**_ _,_ _ **haha77**_ _,_ _ **Kishoto**_ _,_ _ **evolvelove**_ _,_ _ **xMIgBlaze**_ _,_ _ **Justinj5**_ _,_ _ **Aris0114**_ _,_ _ **Erasels**_ _,_ _ **Exercariver**_ _,_ _ **SsinofRoses**_ _,_ _ **Eramis8**_ _,_ _ **Inku Majo**_ _,_ _ **Fusion0104**_ _,_ _ **MatchaWave**_ _,_ _ **Light Sunshine**_ _,_ _ **TheBaka14**_ _and_ _ **TheDeadOne28**_ _:D (hope I didn't miss anyone)_

… _Don't know when next chapter will be up. Hopefully next week… Till then :)_

 _Ja ne_


	11. It all started with a little spark

_Hello guys !_

 _Had some time to write this week ^^ …or not. That said, exams are close so I don't know when next chapter will be. BTW, the flashback of one week is finally over. XD_

 _Anyway, thanks for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing :D I love hearing from you guys ^^_

 _And special thanks to my beta_ _ **Kishoto**_ _;)_

 _Disclaimer : I don't own SnS._

* * *

 **Chapter 11 : It all started with a little spark**

* * *

Birds were chirping. She could hear them. It was a beautiful sound and so calming. There were leaves rustling too. And water running over rocks in the distance.

As she laid down on the grass - she could feel it poking her back - Yami closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of warmth the sun rays were providing.

As the wind blew through her violet locks and caressed her cheeks, Yami sighed.

This morning was just too perfect... She could have stayed there forever.

She decided to laze around some more but she soon felt something tingling her skin. She twitched a little but kept her eyes closed. It couldn't be anything important anyway. Probably some grass right? Right. It couldn't be anything else. It was just grass. Just. Grass.

The girl was still in the middle of convincing herself when she felt it under her clothes, the tingling sensation and then the bites. Ant bites.

Her eyes snapped opened and she let out a horrified yell as she shot up.

Darkness greeted her.

 _Huh?_ Yami thought, confused for a moment until it dawned on her.

It had been a dream - or rather a nightmare. A vivid one but a nightmare anyway.

 _Not real...it was not real..._

The violet-haired girl breathed out in relief as she plopped back down onto her sheets.

Since that day, she had had that nightmare countless times and she didn't doubt she'd have it again in the future. Not as if she could stop it from coming back...she didn't even want to think about it. Her only hope was that no one would ever find out about it. If they did - better not think about it.

Closing her eyes, she tried to get some more rest. She'd need it for the coming day. After all, she was pretty sure she'd have the visit of a pretty angry heiress...she couldn't just go there half asleep. She'd need all of her wits to withstand this coming storm.

With that last thought, the girl surrendered to a dreamless sleep that took her consciousness away.

* * *

 _ **Present time, Monday morning**_

Erina's left eye twitched.

Remembering all of what had occurred during that single week only served to make her mad. All of this was her cousin's fault - no, it was that man's fault. If he hadn't come here in the first place, none of this would have happened. It had all started with a stupid article - that journalist had now been dealt with even if she still resented him for what he had done - and now, here she was pretending to date her nemesis. If you had told her that she would be in that situation on that fateful Sunday, she would have laughed at how ludicrous the idea of it was, but here she was...Life really had a sucky sense of humor.

"Yo, Nakiri!"

A vein pulsed on her temple.

This guy had some nerve alright. Coming here and acting as if nothing happened after what he had done that same morning.

* * *

 _ **Earlier that day**_

That morning had started well and Erina was in a good mood.

Finally, she could find some sort of solution to this problem and soon she'd be able to breathe and not worry about what others thought. Even if she still had 11 more days of being that guy's pretend girlfriend… At least, she'd be able to punish the second person responsible for her troubling days.

The blonde was quietly humming as she made her way from the dining room to her office in order to review what she had to do that day quietly while waiting for her 'boyfriend' to come fetch her for them to make their way to school together.

As she crossed the threshold leading to her office, the sight of a person caught her attention.

"Hisako?"

The purple-haired girl quickly turned around in surprise.

"Erina-sama?! You're here? I thought you were eating breakfast?"

"I was but I'm done now. I just came to look at some things I need for the day."

"Oh, I see. I was just sorting some files, but now I'm done. Do you need me for something?"

"Very well. Would you mind going through what I have to do today with me?" Erina asked as she took her seat behind the desk.

"Eh? Will you have the time to do so before Yukihira-kun comes to pick you up?" Hisako asked as she slightly cocked her head to the side.

Crossing her legs, Erina replied "It's fine. He won't be here for at least fifteen more minutes anyway. That's more than enough time."

Hisako nodded in agreement as she stepped closer to her boss and took out a file containing the matters the princess would have to attend that day. She was about to start reading when a phone rang.

The purple-haired girl looked up confused for a second before she recognized Erina's ringtone.

The blonde pulled out her phone and looked at the screen where the name Yukihira Sōma was flashing.

 _Yukihira? What does he want?_ She thought before answering the call and bringing the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

" _Nakiri? It's me._ "

Erina's brow twitched in annoyance. She had his number saved in her phone so there really was no need for that...this idiot. "I know that. What do you want?"

" _Oh, I'm just calling to tell you that I won't be able to pick you up this morning._ " Sōma's nonchalant voice announced from over the phone.

 _Huh?_

...could it be that he hadn't recovered from his cold and was unable to go to school?

Apparently the heiress had voiced her thoughts because Sōma's deep voice answered.

" _Ah, no, it's nothing like that. Today, I'm taking Tadokoro to school. We're actually about to leave right now. Just letting you know._ "

Silence instilled itself over the line as all that he had said slowly sunk in. Thinking that the connection might have been cut, the lad even checked his phone to see if the line was still connected. It was.

When the blonde spoke again, her voice was colder than the depths of the Arctic Ocean.

"...do what you want." were the last words Sōma heard before the line got cut.

* * *

Sōma turned towards the blunette standing by his side.

"...she hung up." the redhead announced with a deadpan look on his features.

The girl was starting to panic - this couldn't be good - flailing her arms in front of her as she tried to somehow make things right once again, "S-Sōma-kun, it's fine. I-I can walk. J-just go to her."

"It's fine. I'll take you, I already promised I would. So get on!" Sōma finished with a grin.

That morning, Sōma had happily been eating his breakfast as he enthusiastically chatted with his dorm mates. He was about to take his empty plate to the sink when he had heard heavy footsteps rapidly coming down the stairs. It was soon followed by the panicky voice of their blue-haired dorm mate saying that she would be late for some kind of meeting with her RS. Since Sōma had already finished eating, he had proposed to take her which had led to him calling Nakiri to let her know he wouldn't go to school with her that morning.

"D-demo -" Megumi started, still uncomfortable with this turn of events. After all, how could she just steal him from his girlfriend like that?

"It's fine, it's fine. Let's go!" The grinning golden-eyed boy cut her off as he threw a helmet in her direction.

"Ha-hai." Megumi replied, still uncertain about this even as she caught the headpiece being thrown at her.

* * *

Back at the Nakiri mansion, Erina was fuming as she clutched her phone in her hand.

 _This guy! How could he...?!_ **She** was his (pretend) girlfriend, not her! What was he doing going to school with another girl?! Especially when he was supposed to go with her? Wasn't she supposed to be first on his list of priorities? Why had he accepted that so easily? He hadn't even apologized or asked her if she was fine with that! He had just plainly informed her of his decision.

 _Well, you know what Yukihira?! Go to hell!_ Erina thought furiously as she slammed her fist into the desk.

Hisako who was quietly observing the scene since the beginning had wisely taken some steps back from the heiress and she was now grateful that she had. She didn't know what the boy on the other side of the line had said but now, the light mood of her friend had darkened considerably and she seemed really angry about something. She wouldn't be able to say if it was better or worse than that time when she had read this article... She had looked ready to murder that journalist, enough so that Hisako had secretly started researching just how to go about hiding a body. It would have been useful information for if it had really happened. She couldn't let her mistress be caught so easily, after all.

"Hisako."

"Hai!" the purple-haired had startled out of her musings, answering reflexively as she straightened up a little.

"Prepare the car, we're going."

The blonde's voice was calm, a little too calm for the display of anger she had let out less than a minute ago, but whatever the reason, she didn't seem to want to say it right now, so she wouldn't push. Plus, she was pretty sure she understood the situation well enough based on Erina's unexpected demand. Since they'd started pretending, they had agreed to go to school together on Yukihira's bike until it was over, so she really hadn't expected this. Something must have happened but since her friend was more angry than worried, she assumed that it had nothing to do with the boy being sick. And so, he wouldn't come fetch her for some reason. ...she'd have to look into it later. For now, preparing the car was what mattered more.

"Hai!" Hisako answered as she swiftly took her phone out to call the driver and inform him of their imminent departure.

* * *

 _ **Present time**_

Her own 'boyfriend' had chosen another girl over her. Just how could he?! The very thought of this was making her so mad...she could feel a swelling feeling building in her chest which seemed to be crushed by the irritation present since that phone call.

Worse was that the boy didn't seem to care one bit about what he had done. He just came and plopped down next to her as if it was the right thing to do. He tried to get her attention but she stubbornly refused to make eye contact with him. And so he settled for observing her with a blank look on his face.

The redhead wasn't bothered by it at all it seemed...so just why was she? Just why was the thought of him choosing another girl over her so irritating? Just why was she even resenting the girl for it? It's not as if they were really dating. He was free to do what he wanted...or not. He had agreed to be her 'boyfriend' for the time being and he had to live up to that! Choosing someone else over her was a no go! Especially right now when their 'relationship' was so new...

As the thought crossed her mind, Erina was suddenly reminded of all the gossip she had heard that morning because of his thoughtless action: ' _Huh? They're not together today? Did they break up already?_ ' or ' _I saw the transfer student with another girl earlier...is he two timing her?_ '. She had even heard a more outrageous one who had actually dared to say ' _Is he done with her now that he had a taste of her? I heard that she spent lots of time in his room yesterday..._ '

The blonde hadn't understood what they meant by that at first - she had only gone to speak with him and ended up watching over his sick self for some time - but that particular remark had brought a bright red flush over her secretary's face. She had asked her to explain herself and she had refused at first but did it a little later when she had regained her composure. When she was done, Erina's face was completely red - be it due to anger or embarrassment, she didn't know, but it was...maybe both, actually.

But now, only the anger remained. And since the person responsible for it all was just by her side, it was now entirely directed to him. Moreover, seeing his nonchalant face only made it worse so she refused to look at him more than necessary for the time being. She didn't care if it was irrational or childish. Fact was she was mad at him and that was it. She didn't need any more reasons to do that.

Meanwhile, Sōma was silently staring at his 'girlfriend'. Ever since the girl had hung up on him that morning, he had known that she wasn't pleased with him but he hadn't thought that she'd outright ignore him when faced with him.

For some unknown reason, this annoyed him a little.

Okay, maybe he had no right to feel like this since he was the one who had decided not to go to school with her that day - Alice had called him after she had somehow heard about it and told him that a boyfriend shouldn't do that - but still. This was no reason to actually ignore him, right? Plus, he had recently discovered that he didn't like being ignored by the girl for some reason - he couldn't even throw his face into her personal space as she put it since they were in class and she'd surely snap at him if he did (not that he cared that much but well) - but then again, it's not as if she could ignore him forever, right? Right. They were 'dating' after all.

* * *

He had been wrong. Apparently, she was totally able to do just that, as she had just proven.

The princess had outright ignored him ever since he had entered the classroom except for that single glance she had spared him when he'd first arrived. Thinking back, it had been more of a glare than a glance.

But even as he thought about it, he didn't get why she was so angry about it. He had just taken a friend to school because she had needed it. It's not as if she liked going to school with him anyway - or riding his bike for that matter from what she had said about it...

A slight pout formed on his lips as he followed her to lunch with both his hands behind his head.

Being with her when she was like this was no fun. Plus, every time she'd have a moment of peace, she'd turn towards Arato and start talking with her about this and that. Even now, she was doing just that...

Hisako had noticed what was happening and was sending him apologetic glances every once in a while. She couldn't really go against her friend and boss so this really was the most she could do.

Knowing that, Sōma sent her a 'don't worry about it' smile. He'd do something about it himself...somehow. He'd figure it out, eventually.

The redhead crossed his arms across his chest in thought and was about to start pondering over that as a frown started to form when he heard someone calling his name.

 _Hmm?_

He turned his head in the direction it had come from only to discover Megumi rapidly making her way toward him. He stopped walking and fully turned his body around as he waited for her to reach him.

"Hey Tadokoro." Sōma said in greeting. "What's up?"

The girl stopped in front of him and took a second to catch her breath before answering.

"Hum, I just wanted to thank you for this morning..." she said as she looked down and started fiddling with her hands. "It's thanks to you that I could be on time for my meeting." she added before looking up and giving him a shy thankful smile.

He returned it with a grin of his own. "You already did. And I told you it was fine."

The blunette looked up to him in protest "B-but..." she started but let her sentence trail as she threw a meaningful glance in Erina's direction.

The redhead followed her glance and saw that the heiress had stopped walking as well though she was still giving him her back and talking to Arato. Looking back at Tadokoro, he offered her a small resigned smile. He could see that she was thinking she was the cause of the unusual - at least since they had started dating - distance between the two in her anxious eyes.

He sighed.

It wasn't her fault. He had decided to take her on his own and he didn't regret his choice. He'd just have to find a way to make the heiress talk to him again. Even if he still didn't get why it was that big of a deal to her.

Sōma's brows furrowed slightly at this thought but soon dismissed it with a shake of his head. He was about to reassure the girl standing in front of him when he felt a hand creep into the crook of the elbow of his still crossed left arm.

He looked down at it in surprise then up at the owner of said hand. Surprisingly - or not...but since she was still ignoring him it kind of was - it belonged to Nakiri Erina, his pretend girlfriend.

Sōma couldn't help but stare in confusion.

A minute ago, she had still been mad at him for some kind of reason and now, here she was, clinging to his arm like the lover she was supposed to be. Talk about puzzling... He swore, this girl just didn't know what she wanted. But well, if she stopped ignoring him then it was fine with him.

...though she didn't really acknowledge him that much right now.

Now that he was focusing on her, he could see that she wasn't looking at him at all, just clinging to him while staring at Tadokoro. Following her gaze, he found a very uncomfortable looking Tadokoro at the end of it. He could understand why since he could feel a not too pleased aura being emitted from his girl – something he could easily identify because it was usually directed at him whenever he was spending time with the temperamental blonde.

He was brought out of his musings - wow, he really had a lot to think about recently - by a feminine voice coming from his side.

"Sorry to interrupt but we were heading to lunch."

As he looked down at her, he couldn't help but think that she didn't sound sorry at all. Her voice was kind of too flat and cold for that...

"I-iie... Sorry for holding Sōma-kun back. I'll get going now." came the panicky and nervous voice of his dorm mate from lower than usual - she was probably bowing at this point.

He looked up just in time to see her disappearing form in the distance. Wow, she was fast. If he had kept looking at the girl standing by his side for a little while longer, however, he may not have missed - though he probably wouldn't have understood it anyway - the way Erina's brows furrowed at the familiarity of the address the girl had used.

They stood there for a moment before Erina released Sōma's arm and turned around to catch up with Hisako who had been standing some meters away, quietly observing the scene. She was sure that her friend didn't realize it but the possessiveness she had felt the urge to display at this point surely meant that she had feelings for the boy - romantic feelings. Not just annoyance and irritation.

The purple-haired girl sighed as she turned around to resume walking by Erina's side as she finally caught up to her. She'd just have to wait and see how things would pan out.

Behind them, Sōma stood unmoving as he stared after them in silent bewilderment.

It was official. He just couldn't seem to get this girl.

Giving up on it for now, he sighed once more and resumed walking after pocketing both his hands.

 _She'll be the end of me..._

* * *

Unbeknownst to them, hidden in a corner, someone had been attentively watching the whole exchange between Nakiri Erina and the others.

 _And you're saying that you don't love him...just who are you trying to fool? The people around you or your own heart?_

With these last thoughts, they disappeared into the shadows where no more noise could be heard.

* * *

 _And cut! Hope you enjoyed :)_

 _Japanese words:_ demo _= but,_ iie _= no, and_ hai _= yes XD_

 _Guest reviews' answer:_

 **Irza** : Here it is! XD Hope you enjoyed ^^ Thanks for reviewing :)

 **Sorina** : She has to be! XD Well, the shokugeki will have to wait a little… ^^' Hopefully, it'll come soon :) Don't wory about it, I'll have exams soon so I totally understand. -_-' Thanks :D Glad to know you liked it ^^And thanks for the review! ;)

 **Guest** : Happy to know that :D Thanks for reviewing and hope you enjoyed this one too :)

 _Thanks to the registered reviewers too :_ _ **Kishoto**_ _,_ _ **Shirokurosen**_ _,_ _ **TheBaka14**_ _,_ _ **raydark182**_ _,_ _ **evolvelove**_ _,_ _ **Eramis8**_ _,_ _ **Justinsj5**_ _,_ _ **hidaruma**_ _,_ _ **Exercariver**_ _,_ _ **haha77**_ _,_ _ **Inku Majo**_ _,_ _ **aGoldenLion**_ _,_ _ **Light Sunshine**_ _,_ _ **SsinofRoses**_ _,_ _ **Hypocrisy|**_ _, and_ _ **DuckTator**_ _:D_

 _Till next week! (Hopefully)_

 _Ja ne_


	12. When fire turns everything red

_Hello guys!_

 _Had a busy week. Exams. Sorry for the wait. Hope the one to come won't be…_

 _Anyway, thanks for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing! I love to hear from you guys ^^_

 _And special thanks to my beta_ _ **Kishoto**_ _:)_

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Shokugeki no Soma.

* * *

 **Chapter 12: When fire turns everything red**

* * *

 _ **Monday afternoon, after class**_

Golden eyes trailed after the blonde and her secretary walking in front of them as their owner absentmindedly followed them so as not to be distanced and left behind as they traveled through the academy's corridors to whatever their destination seemed to be. He didn't even know about that since the blonde had refused to speak with him all day with the only exception of that fastidious morning call.

...okay, so maybe he hadn't played his role right but Tadokoro had been in need and he wasn't one to leave a friend in need when he could do something about it. It wasn't as if Nakiri liked to go to school with him right? And she had dozens of cars at her disposal as she had previously said. So he hadn't thought it'd turn out to be such a big deal when he had decided to take Tadokoro to school instead but apparently, he had been wrong and things had gone out of control. School was over and even now, the princess refused to so much as acknowledge his presence - much less talk to him. The only time she had - if that even counted - was when she had come by as he was talking with Tadokoro.

Thinking about that, he hadn't had the chance to reassure the girl in the end. Okay, so maybe that wouldn't have happened if he hadn't taken her to school but he didn't regret his choice. He had helped her when she needed him and that was all there was to it.

So, once again, why was Nakiri so displeased about it? And more importantly, till when would she ignore him?

It was high time he got the answer to this question. This had lasted too long already.

"...How long are you going to ignore me?"

Sōma finally asked after they passed another flock of chatting students. The hallways weren't particularly crowded but they certainly were far from being empty. If he wasn't so uncaring about his surroundings, he probably would have noticed that they were all staring at them and whispering - more or less discreetly - while making way for them to pass. But he didn't care enough to actually bother about that and all of his attention was currently focused on the blonde gracefully walking in front of him.

Even if the question was clearly directed to the heiress, she didn't make any movement or sound that could mean that she had even heard - much less acknowledged - it and steadily continued to walk as she occasionally talked with Hisako. Said girl was looking more and more uncomfortable with the situation as seconds went by but didn't dare to go against her mistress. Who knew what could happen if she did? But...maybe she should actually. The two obviously needed to talk it out and since she was always there, they couldn't - which was probably why Erina-sama was staying extra close to her today and doing her best to avoid the lad while trying not to make it too obvious that she was and remarkably failing to do so. Well, her boss wouldn't have it her way anyway. Hisako knew the man enough to know he wouldn't let it go that easily.

The purple-haired girl was brought out of her thoughts by the boy's deep voice and an unexpected movement that she noticed from the corner of her eye.

"Oi. I'm talking to you, Nakiri." Sōma stated, his voice gaining a not so subtle hint of annoyance as he reached out to the blonde and reached for her arm, effectively preventing her from taking another step away from him.

They all stopped walking in the middle of the way and curious students watched the scene with interest without actually daring to get closer.

Even then, the blonde refused to turn around to face her 'boyfriend' properly and his penetrating gaze bore itself in the back of her head as Sōma firmly held onto her arm, not too forcefully but firmly enough for her to be unable to break free from it without his consent. Feeling that, she didn't even try to and settled for staying silent, not bothering to ask him to release her. She knew he wouldn't do it until he had the answer he sought so it would have been a waste of saliva anyway.

Hisako looked nervously between the two of them as she silently prayed for it not to end in a bloodbath. Moreover, if they came to forget their surroundings and let out too much information in the heat of the moment, all of their efforts would have been for nothing and she would have to deal with a pretty irritated Erina-sama afterwards. . _..Dear God, please, do let them talk it out calmly._

Sōma was steadily growing annoyed by her silence and refusal to acknowledge him. So she didn't even want to look at him? Fine! He'd make her.

In a moment of impulsivity, he yanked at her arm. The blonde who hadn't expected such a thing to happen instantly lost her balance and stumbled into Sōma's firm chest. Well, she didn't stay that way long because he immediately turned her around so that she was facing him and grabbed her shoulders to keep her there.

A second later, surprised purple eyes found themselves directly staring into irked golden ones.

Erina took a second to come back to her senses and turned her head away to avoid his fiery gaze. But Yukihira wouldn't let her and grabbed her chin with his left hand to put her face back to its original position so that she found herself staring into his eyes once again.

The princess was growing annoyed as her attempts to avoid his gaze failed one after the other and resigned herself to only look away.

"Look at me." Sōma ordered in a heated voice as his irritation escalated to a new level.

A vein pulsed against Erina's temple at being ordered around by him and she stubbornly stared out the window which was now in her sight. It was soon replaced by golden eyes once again as the lad leaned in to place himself in her line of sight once again.

They obstinately stared at each other in silence for a long time before the blonde closed her eyes and sighed imperceptibly, surrendering to her fate.

When she opened her eyes once again, she looked in front of her and unsurprisingly straight into Yukihira's golden gaze. He'd probably felt her change of disposition since he let go of her chin and shoulder - though he let his right hand slide alongside her arm until he was holding her forearm.

They held each other's gaze in silence for some more time - as if measuring each other's determination - before Erina's purple eyes gained a resigned glint. Her whole expression changed and seemed to say 'Speak, I'm listening.' to the other chef.

"How long are you planning to ignore me?" the redhead asked once again in a clipped tone, straight to the point as usual.

The blonde stared at him as if totally unfazed by his inquiry. She almost felt like denying it and playing innocent but it would have been useless and bothersome since he seemed so determined to get an answer so she only stared at him some more before opening her mouth to speak.

"Why do you care?" she asked in response and was met with an unfazed gaze.

The lad hadn't really expected her to answer from the start so her reacting this way wasn't really that surprising.

He didn't even think twice before answering with "I'm supposed to be your boyfriend." in the same clipped tone he had used before.

The heiress' eyes widened slightly at his statement. He hadn't said much - to others it'd only look like your usual lovers' quarrel - but his eyes had conveyed what he hadn't put into words 'I already agreed to be your pretend boyfriend but if you're going to be like that, we might as well call it off. I'm not the one who has something to lose here since I don't really care about the rumors in the first place.'

Purple eyes fully expressed her shock at his unspoken words before conveying back 'You wouldn't...!' to which golden eyes retorted with a steeled 'Try me.', daring her to say anything back.

The 'couple' stared at each other for a long while, silently assessing the other's will.

The onlookers were growing anxious in anticipation as they looked back and forth between the two, wondering about the outcome of this. Would they break up? Was the building up tension a good or a bad sign? Should they leave and let them finish their discussion privately in fear of being taken by the storm? Those were the questions currently circling in every mind as they looked at the arguing lovers and slightly inched away from them.

Hisako wasn't an exception as she silently wished for them not to kill each other. Her mistress's mood hadn't been good at all today and she didn't know how Erina-sama would react to this.

All of their trains of thought were interrupted by the princess's cold voice.

"So now you care about your role as my boyfriend?" she asked in a sarcastic tone, "Because it sure didn't seem that way this morning." she snapped accusingly.

Golden eyes widened slightly in honest surprise at her insinuation before they grew defensive.

"I called you to let you know I'd be taking her today." Sōma didn't say her name but he didn't need to, they both knew he was talking about Tadokoro. "She had to quickly get there for a meeting and I was the only one who was ready to go so I proposed to take her. Are you telling me I shouldn't have helped her when she was in need?" he asked in indignation.

Purple eyes almost gained a guilty glint before she recalled exactly what had been the content of their call. She frowned in obvious displeasure at the remembrance and the boy's eyes gained a defiant glint at that sight, misunderstanding the reason behind her discontentment.

"I wasn't aware that dating you meant cutting ties with my friends." Sōma said in a piqued voice.

Erina's eyes widened in indignation before she coldly replied "I never said that." in a 'Just who do you take me for?' tone.

The redhead gave her a cynical look before opening his mouth to answer "You might as well have since the way you're acting basically says that anyway."

The blonde's expression became affronted, as she asked in a low tone, "And just what is that supposed to mean?" as her eyes gained a dangerous glint.

"Exactly what I said." Sōma responded heatedly. Not backing off, he crossed his arms, finally releasing her from his hold.

Her arms shook by her side as her temper rapidly rose. _Just how dare he insinuate such a thing?!_ Soon, her whole face was red with anger as her entire body shook with restrained fury.

The lad steadily looked at her, unfazed by her reaction. If she had something to say, then he was more than ready to hear her out.

Another moment of tense silence passed between the two as the blonde tentatively tried to calm down enough to be able to speak without exploding.

Soon enough, her infuriated voice could be heard. "I don't care what you do with your friends..."

Sōma raised a skeptical brow "Oh really now? Certainly didn't look that way. Remind me, just who was the one ignoring me until now?"

Erina sent a heated glare his way. "That's not why I was ignoring you." she stated in a clipped tone.

Sōma leveled her with a flat look. "Enlighten me."

The blonde sent him a burning glare, as her whole body expressed her reluctance to explain. The redhead didn't flinch away from it as he impassively stared at her, waiting for her explanation.

She opened her mouth but no sound exited it so she closed it. She parted her lips to try again but sounds failed to leave it. She was doing a really good imitation of a gold fish right now...

During the whole process, Sōma looked at her straight-faced, patiently waiting for her to speak up.

After a minute of silence, Erina managed to find her words once again.

"That's...you..." she trailed off, struggling to find words.

Well, at least, now words actually seemed to be able to make it past her lips. It was progress. After taking a deep inhalation, Erina tried again. With explosive results.

"You didn't even care about what I would think about it!" the blonde cried out, "You acted as if it had absolutely nothing to do with me!"

Sōma's eyes widened, his lips parted and his arms slowly fell by his side in complete surprise. He hadn't expected that and was completely at a loss.

Erina took the time to catch her breath while Sōma stared at her with eyes fully expressing the shock he presently felt. He hadn't realized she had perceived it that way at all.

Before he could even begin to think about what to say - his brain had decided to take a break the moment she had finished talking - Erina spoke again.

"You are supposed to be _my_ _**boyfriend**_." her voice was softer this time as she leveled him with an accusing and betrayed look which conveyed what she had left unsaid 'And you were supposed to take _me_ to school. You could have at least asked if I was okay with that before deciding on your own.'

Sōma's eyes widened even more, if that was possible, as guilt started to swell in his stomach. The fact that she threw his own words right back at him wasn't helping at all.

He was still trying to find his words - a concept he was just now getting acquainted with, he rarely was at a loss for words, not to mention it was really hard to do so when your brain decides to take a break - when Erina's sigh caught his attention.

"Forget it." the blonde said tiredly as she closed her eyes. Opening her eyes, she threw him a last weary look before turning on her heels and making her way to the exit.

The spell was instantly broken and the world around them seemed to come alive once again as the ones who had been looking from afar started to move once more.

Hisako hurried to her mistress's side after regaining her senses and soon the corridors emptied themselves until the only person left was Sōma standing there as if oblivious to the rest of the world.

* * *

The sound of fingers drumming on the desk filled the room Yami was currently occupying. She didn't get it. Why wasn't Nakiri Erina there already? She was so sure she'd come to her today! But the day was already over and there was no sign of the heiress. What could have happened to prevent her from coming to exact her revenge? She just knew that Arato Hisako had already found information about her. She knew that the girl was highly capable and there was no way they hadn't taken action after the spreading of _those_ pictures.

Yami bit her thumbnail as she silently wondered what to do. Maybe she could go and see for herself where Nakiri Erina was? She had wanted the princess to be the one to approach her but well...if she stayed hidden, it wouldn't be a problem right? She wouldn't see her and she could come to her whenever she wished to - preferably soon.

Nodding in contentment over her decision, Yami stood up and finally exited the room she had been waiting in - it was near her classroom so she had thought it'd be a good meeting spot since it wasn't that hard to find.

As soon as she stepped outside, she heard quiet muttering and got closer to hear what it was all about. She had a feeling it concerned the blonde heiress and the reason behind her not showing up. She had been so absorbed in her plan that she hadn't really paid attention to the rest of the world today. Yes, it was definitely unusual.

Anyway, once she was close enough to the talking people, she soon learned what had happened that day. Apparently, Yukihira Sōma had showed up with another girl that morning - that Tadokoro Megumi who had passed the preliminaries of the Autumn election - while Nakiri Erina had arrived by car with her secretary. ...okay, maybe it wasn't particularly unusual but it has seemed that they had decided to go to school together when they had started to date - fairly recently at that - as they could remark last Friday. So it had been kind of weird...especially since the heiress had been in a foul mood the whole day and hadn't really talked to her boyfriend. It had smelled like trouble in their couple. They had been right since they had the chance to bear witness to an important argument between the two concerning that. In the end, the heiress had left without her boyfriend once again - who seemed to be shell shocked at the moment.

Looking in the direction they were pointing at, she saw said redhead still standing there, staring at the exit that headed towards the parking lot - which she supposed was the direction the girl had disappeared into - with empty eyes. He really had been shocked, it seemed.

After giving him one last look, Yami turned around and started making her way out of the building. She had no more business to attend to in there and it didn't look like the blonde would come back today so she'd better get moving too.

Maybe the princess would come tomorrow, when things had calmed down with her boyfriend. And when the moment would come, she'd be more than ready to receive her.

* * *

 _ **Polar Star dorm**_

The sound of tires screeching over the ground disturbed the tranquility of the air of the forest surrounding the Polar Star dorm on this sleepy afternoon. It was soon followed by the sound of the engine coming to a stop.

The teen put his foot on the ground before releasing his red hair from the helmet previously trapping it. He shook his head once or twice to let the air pass through it before putting the headpiece away for future use. He then proceeded to dismount his moped and absentmindedly took the way leading to the back door of the dorm.

Before he knew it, he had already reached his room and was lying on his bed, listlessly staring at the ceiling. If you had asked him if someone else was in, he wouldn't be able to answer for the very good reason that he hadn't really been paying attention to his surroundings - except while riding because it would have been dangerous - ever since he kind of came back to himself alone in the hallway.

He had been way too preoccupied by what the blonde had said to actually do that. He had been completely taken aback and shocked hence the long time he had needed to come back to his senses afterwards.

He really hadn't realized it at the time, but indeed, he hadn't really bothered about her opinion on that matter - no, he actually had since he had called to tell her about it but then again he had to call or she would have waited for him forever and probably would have been late since he wasn't confident about having the time to drop Tadokoro at school, come back for her and actually be on time for class, which was why he had called her.

But that didn't mean that he didn't care about what she thought. He had waited for an answer after all...maybe he should have phrased it differently. Though it was true that he had already decided on what to do before calling her. But if he hadn't and called her to discuss about it, would that have changed anything? He probably wouldn't have taken no for an answer anyway and an argument would have probably followed...but those were all hypotheses. He would never know if it would have actually turned out like that and so pondering over it was useless.

A sigh escaped Sōma's lips as he closed his eyes and welcomed the darkness that greeted him in response.

He didn't know what would have happened if things had taken another direction but what he knew was that he had somehow failed in his role. He hadn't acted like he should have as her boyfriend. But then again, last Thursday night, when they were discussing the details, he had told her that he had never been in a relationship before so it was normal for him to not know how to act perfectly. He always took his decisions by himself and changing that might be quite the challenge. Ever since...since his mother...

Sōma could feel tears forming under his eyelids at the direction his thoughts were taking and he took a deep breath to calm himself, stopping thinking altogether to calm himself. When he was calm enough, he opened his eyes once again and resumed his thinking.

Since that time, Jōichirō just hadn't been the same - or maybe he was but for Sōma, things had changed greatly. That event had left an open hole in his life and nothing had ever managed to fill it.

At that thought, Sōma grabbed the cloth he was wearing around his wrist. He had gotten it from her just before...suffice to say, it had a great sentimental value to him.

After that, he had grown more and more independent even though he still maintained a good relationship with his father. Though they didn't talk much unless it concerned cooking - his father rarely talked about himself so he wasn't sure he could say he knew the man named Saiba Jōichirō. He hadn't even known his original last name before coming to Tōtsuki! In a few days, he had learned more about his father than he had in 15 years. The main reason would be that they got used to speaking through their dishes, through their cooking - even if they still talked from time to time.

Maybe that was why he hadn't really felt the need to discuss his plans with Erina before coming to a decision. He never really did that with anyone before so it was kind of new for him. He never even thought that not doing that would affect her that much. It's not like he didn't care what she thought, it was just that he hadn't considered the fact that - okay, he was in the wrong and everything that he might say at this point would sound like an excuse.

But, in his defense, he had never been in a relationship before, like he had told the Nakiris that on Thursday night when they had been discussing their plans for this fake relationship, so he didn't really know what the other party expected from him. He had just acted as he usually did.

Sōma closed his eyes as a sigh escaped his lips.

He'd have to apologize.

Standing up, he traded his uniform for sports ones, a sweatshirt with a hood and sweatpants. After all that thinking, he needed some fresh air.

* * *

Okay, so _maybe_ she had overreacted.

Erina was currently taking a walk in the gardens as she went over the day's events.

When the blonde had crossed the threshold of the front door, her white-haired cousin had been standing there, with a deep frown on her features and her arms crossed under her chest. As soon as Hisako had closed the door behind them, Alice had started with her scolding. Apparently, ignoring her 'boyfriend' wasn't good and the redhead following them in silence had been a pitiful sight. Erina had retorted with the fact that it had been his fault to begin with and explained her standpoint but then Alice had reminded her that the redhead had never been in a relationship before and therefore had probably not meant it that way.

That got the blonde thinking but she was still stubbornly refusing to admit that reacting like that had been over the top. At that Alice's red eyes had widened as if realizing something and then she had given her a 'I know something you don't' kind of smile before saying that Erina should go and make up with Yukihira-kun as she walked away, leaving a conflicted Erina in her wake.

That was when the princess had decided to go and take a walk a few minutes later. Which had led to now, Erina aimlessly walking through the gardens.

The noise of a branch snapping caught her attention and Erina stopped in her tracks to look around and try to identify the reason behind it. She was about to do just that when she noticed that she was currently surrounded by high and numerous trees.

 _I'm in the forest already? Looks like I wandered a bit too far._

Erina was about to turn around to go back to the manor when the sound of another branch snapping came to her ears.

Twisting towards the origin of the noise, she squinted her eyes at a dark form coming into her direction. As it grew bigger, she recognized the figure of a man - not any man, this red hair could only belong to one person.

As he came to a stop a few meters away from her, only one word left her lips, managing fully express the surprise she was feeling.

"Yukihira-kun?"

Golden eyes widened in surprise as the redhead acknowledged her presence.

"Nakiri?"

* * *

 _And cut! *runs and hides behind a wall* Don't kill me! XD Hope you enjoyed :D_

 _Guest reviews' answer:_

 **Sorina** : Why, you're gonna make me blush XD Happy you liked it ^^ I guess XD Sometimes it feels like it and then I'm like, 'Wow, I've already written that much…' Lol XD …though I guess I could do longer lol. …sorry? Soon. Hopefully. Hope you liked this chapter too ^^ Thanks for reviewing :D

 **Irza:** You're welcome ^^ Here it is XD Hope you enjoyed :) Thanks for the review :D

 **Anonymous** : Thank you :D Happy to know you're enjoying it ^^ Well, it could turn into a pyramid if you add Ikumi in the mix XD ;) Thanks for reviewing :)

 **Insane** : Glad to know you like it :D Sorry for the wait… Hope you liked it :) Thanks for the review :D

 _Thanks to the registered reviewers :D_ _ **PantherSeraphin**_ _,_ _ **Kishoto**_ _,_ _ **raydark182**_ _,_ _ **TheBaka14**_ _,_ _ **Jonny Walker**_ _,_ _ **Imax**_ _,_ _ **xMIgBlaze**_ _,_ _ **evolvelove**_ _,_ _ **Seneseless**_ _,_ _ **Eramis8**_ _,_ _ **Ver-Rouge**_ _,_ _ **Justinsj5**_ _,_ _ **Erasels**_ _,_ _ **Tjhunt99612**_ _,_ _and_ _ **SsinofRoses**_

 _Well, till next week? ^^'_

 _Ja ne_


	13. Revival of the purple fire

_Hello guys!_

 _One week and one day! Since I moved in between I think it's not so bad lol. Though I'm sorry about the horrible cliffhanger? ^^'_

 _Thanks for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing :D_

 _Special thanks to my beta_ _ **Kishoto**_ _:D and to my fellow writer and friend_ _ **Hypocrisy**_ _for his big help ;D_

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own Shokugeki no Soma.

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Revival of the purple fire**

* * *

Aureate eyes fell into twin amethyst pools as their owner was momentarily rendered still by the surprise. He had been trying not to think about what had transpired too much and had decided to take a walk to clear his mind a little, planning to think about how he'd act when he'd next see the princess after coming back to the dorm. But apparently, Kami-sama had other plans in mind for him, if the blonde currently standing in front of him in the middle of the forest was any indication.

An awkward silence instilled itself between the two as thoughts kept running through both of their minds. There were numerous and diverse thoughts like _Why is he/she here? I didn't expect to meet him/her there... What am I supposed to say?_ that you'd expect them to have but right now, the only one running through both their minds was _'How?'_.

That single word was enough to express the multitude of feelings that were currently battling for the first place and control over the mind but in the end, their faces were left void of any emotion, their eyes being the only expressive entity left after this unexpected meeting.

Under other circumstances, meeting here probably wouldn't have mattered much. If it was before this whole mess, Erina supposed she would have probably tried to pass the lad without him noticing her since he always seemed to push her buttons which resulted in her being in a foul mood for the remainder of the day but, Yukihira would have probably seen her and called out to her before she could get away and then a quarrel would have exploded somehow. Probably. It surely would have been his fault anyway.

But now, the usually very talkative Yukihira Sōma was quiet. Completely quiet. And unmoving, which was even more unusual. That had to be one of the oddest things that had ever happened during his time here at Tōtsuki academy.

As the redhead stood perfectly still, the blonde silently prayed for him to just go away and not talk about what had happened earlier. She didn't really want to talk about that now and she surely didn't want to have to apologize or something like that. She rarely did and she couldn't even remember when she had last apologized to someone before –

 _"I'm sorry! Father, please! I won't do it again! I'll throw it away like you told me to! So please, don't throw me away! Father!"_

 _Those words were cried out in the midst of darkness by a sweaty little girl whose mid-long honey blond hair moved along with her rash movements and amethyst eyes which started to fill with tears as she kept hitting the door coldly standing closed in front of her._

A shiver ran down Erina's spine at the fleeting memory and she shook her head to dislodge it from her mind.

That seemed to break them out of their surprise-induced stillness as the redhead standing in front of her blinked and shifted a little but didn't make any movement to come closer to her. Not that she had expected him to, but...somewhere, she hoped he'd make the first move and apologize to her, even if he had good reasons for doing what he did.

Yeah, that was the opposite of her previous disposition but...this was all his fault! Whenever she was in his presence, her emotions were thrown for a loop. She didn't even know what she wanted anymore...a part of her wanted to forget all about it and be done with it while another part wanted to stay and see what he'd say. After cooling down her head, she could now see (and admit) that he wasn't really in the wrong, but he wasn't in the right either. He had been inconsiderate, that was a fact. So the next words that would exit his mouth would determine how much he valued her and her feelings.

Erina was brought out of her musings by Sōma's deep voice.

"Hey." he said quietly both in greeting and in order to get her attention.

He succeeded since said attention immediately flew his way as she focused completely on him. She seriously hoped something else would come out of his mouth because it wasn't that simple 'Hey.' that would cut it.

On the other hand, Sōma took a moment to collect his thoughts which resulted in another moment of uncomfortable silence.

He briefly wondered how that could have happened...he had been absentmindedly running around, not really caring about where he was going - which had probably been a really bad idea since Tōtsuki was so vast...actually he could have gotten lost. But he would have asked around to find his way back. If he actually found people to ask that is.

Anyway, fact was that the last person he expected to meet was Nakiri, but here he was, standing in front of his 'girlfriend'. But well, he guessed it wasn't so bad. He wasn't one to let things sit alone for a long time. If he felt that he had to do something, he liked to do it as soon as he could so that it was over and done with. So now was as good a time as ever.

Riding on his new found resolve, Sōma took a deep breath and opened his mouth to speak once again.

"I'm sorry."

Two simple but genuine words that echoed through the forest as the blonde's entire attention rested on the man standing in front of her. While it wasn't that surprising for him to apologize, she couldn't say that she had expected the profoundly honest sincerity that it came with. She had expected him to blame her a little too but it didn't seem that he would. Though he would have every right to since she _had_ overreacted...a little. _Maybe_ ignoring him all day had been _a little_ too much, even under those circumstances.

So why was he apologizing so sincerely? Why was he simply taking the brunt of it all without even trying to share the blame? Yes, she had wanted him to apologize but somehow, it didn't sit well with her.

"Y-you...!" Erina huffed before cutting herself off and looking away. Why was she feeling so annoyed? What had she even intended to say after that? When her questions remained unanswered, she bit her lower lip in frustration. Why couldn't she ever think straight when he was near?!

Meanwhile, not picking up on her confusion and only hearing the annoyance in her voice, poor Sōma unknowingly joined the 'Who will be the most confused' party while wondering what he had done to provoke such a reaction. Had he said something wrong? He had apologized, what more could he say? What more was she expecting from him? What should he say to get her to forgive him?

His puzzled thinking was interrupted by the blonde's voice.

"Y-you...why are you apologizing?! Why aren't you mad at me?! Why aren't you upset with me?" Erina asked in a slightly calmer voice than previously, her voice _almost_ gaining a distraught edge at the end as she looked up at him in complete mystification. She just didn't get it. Why was he doing that? Why was she feeling like this? Why couldn't she figure anything out? This situation was growing more and more frustrating.

So this was the reason behind her mood? What a silly girl. A fond smile made its way to Sōma's lips as he lightly shook his head in barely concealed amusement at the situation. He crossed the small distance separating them and stopped a feet away from her. Sōma brushed a few strands of hair away from her face and placed them behind her ear with his right hand before letting it rest on her cheek, never breaking eye contact with the girl as he did so.

"Erina" Sōma started and the girl wanted to protest, to say that he wasn't allowed to call her that once again but, somehow, she couldn't really find the will to do so. Was it because of the way her name sounded when coming from his lips? He shouldn't be allowed to make it sound so...so attractive.

"I'm sorry." he repeated simply while looking deep into her mauve eyes and Erina didn't know if it was because of this or because of their proximity or maybe because of their position but she felt shivers run up and down her skin. She was completely entranced by the man whose eyes made her think about pure, molten gold.

Sōma parted his lips to speak once again. "Do you forgive me?" he asked as if the answer wasn't obvious already.

In her current state, even if she wanted to, she wouldn't be able to reply with anything other than yes. She pouted slightly at the thought before quietly mumbling a small "Yes."

Oh God, she was just too adorable with that pout on her lips, Sōma thought as his smile widened in happiness. At that moment, he wanted to do nothing but kiss it away. He started to lean in but noticing the slight widening of her eyes, he realized just what he was about to do and redirected his lips towards her forehead where they landed in a soft kiss.

The contact lasted for a few seconds, before he leaned back and grinned at her now flushed face while letting go of her cheek.

Erina tried to direct a heated glare his way but exceptionally failed since the blush stuck on her face only made it all the more adorable, making Sōma chuckle lightly. In an attempt to heal her wounded pride, she landed a weak fist on his shoulder and pouted even more when it only served to enlarge his smile which was rapidly turning into a grin.

Erina turned her face away from him as she crossed her arms under her voluminous chest in feigned discontentment. She couldn't even muster the feeling since a strong sense of relief washed over her being - not that she'd let him know that. She'd die of embarrassment if she ever did.

Risking a small glance at him from the corner of her eye, she felt a small smile stretch her lips as she imperceptibly sighed in relief. Seemed like everything was fine between them now. A strange sense of happiness filled her being and she tried to identify its source but after a few seconds of searching in vain, she gave up on it and dismissed it with a small shake of her head.

She'd think about it later. For now, she had to go back to the mansion. It'd been a while since she had left and the last thing she wanted was to have dozens of people looking for her.

Sighing, she faced the redhead once again and looked up at him before opening her mouth to speak.

"I have to go back now. I'll see you tomorrow." Erina said with a sense of finality as she nodded before turning around to walk away from him and towards the Nakiri manor.

She hadn't taken two steps when Sōma's deep voice stopped her.

"Wait!" he called out in a sense of urgency, with an outstretched hand in her direction.

She sent him a curious look over her shoulder as she raised a well-defined eyebrow at him before asking "What is it?"

His previously outstretched hand made its way to the back of his neck and began to scratch it in obvious embarrassment.

"Could you show me the way back to the dorm? I'm a little lost actually." Sōma explained with a sheepish grin. After looking around, he had realized he couldn't recognize the place he was currently standing in and therefore was unable to make his way back. So, plan B entered into motion. Ask someone.

Erina sweat dropped.

Like, seriously...? Sighing, she fully turned towards him and looked around a little before starting with her explanation.

This guy really was something else.

* * *

 _ **Nakiri manor**_

Later that evening, just before sunset, a tired Nakiri Erina closed the door of her room and let herself fall on her bed.

This had been exhausting. They hadn't really talked that much but with all those feelings running wild earlier, she was now completely emotionally drained. Still, she was kind of happy that everything was good between them once again.

A smile made its way to her face but it was soon replaced by a fierce blush as the blonde remembered the kiss he had given her. This guy really knew no shame...like how could he do that so casually? Plus, at first, she almost thought he would kiss her on the l-li-li-li-li-lips...but then he had kissed her forehead instead. Which was a good thing. She wouldn't have known what to do if her first kiss had been taken just like that, under those circumstances. Worst was that she had been so out of her mind that she would have actually let it happen!

Erina cursed under her breath as she silently wondered what she had been thinking about (obviously nothing) earlier. But it hadn't happened so she guessed everything was fine but...she'd have to be more careful around Yukihira-kun - if that was possible. It was hard to be careful around someone when you didn't even know what they were thinking. Even if that was kind of the main reason why she should be careful actually.

She already knew that the guy wasn't good for her physical health, but now she was starting to wonder if he wasn't bad for her mental health as well...

Sighing, she rolled on her side and her eyes fell onto her desk. She let them rest on it for a while until a file caught her attention. It was quietly sitting on the edge of the desk while the others were forming a neat pile a few centimeters away. Weird.

Well defined eyebrows furrowed as the blonde tried to remember exactly why this particular file wasn't with the others and sitting there instead -

 _Ah!_

She abruptly sat up as it hit her. How could she even forget about it? This file contained the information that Hisako had assembled on that photographer and stalker known under the name of Katsuna Yami, the one who has spread those compromising pictures all throughout the school.

Erina got to her feet and made her way to the desk to take a look at the file once again.

She had completely forgotten about it with everything that happened today but she had a Shokugeki to plan! Well, plan was probably not the word since all she needed to do was go and challenge this impudent girl. And she already had the perfect punishment for her...

A cold smile stretched her lips as she thought about it. She'd make this girl regret her actions, that was for sure.

* * *

 _ **Polar Star dorm**_

Sōma closed the door of his room behind him and sighed. Finally, he had made it back to the dorm. Even with Erina's explanations, finding his way back had taken some time and now, he was tired. And sweaty. He should probably go take a bath...yeah, that was a good idea.

The redhead grabbed his pajamas and towel and made his way to the bathroom - after checking the time to make sure he could go without intruding on the girls. He still remembered that time when he had entered on Tadokoro...he was thankful he could still hear after that shill scream she had let out. He surely didn't want a repeat of that peculiar episode. It had been an experience he'd prefer to avoid repeating if possible.

Upon entering, Sōma let his clothes fall at his feet in a messy pile and put the clean ones in a basket before sliding the door leading to the bath. It was thankfully empty and he took his time to shower and let the water run over him before immersing himself in the tub.

The hot water was doing wonders for his tense muscles and he let out a contented sigh. There, perfectly relaxed, his mind started to wander and to reminisce about the events of the day before a thought occurred to him and he chuckled in amusement. It seemed like the bath had become second on his 'favorite places to think quietly' list. Only, two nights ago he had been there thinking about those pictures - which were really good by the way. If he hadn't known for sure that they hadn't actually kissed, he would have totally believed that they had.

Thinking about that, why had he felt the urge to touch and kiss Erina earlier?

Sōma lifted the hand that had brushed her hair away and rested on her cheek before looking at it in perplexity. Why indeed... He was unable to answer to that question. He had just felt the need to at that moment and had acted upon that feeling. There was just something about her that had made him want to. What that was, he wouldn't be able to tell but what he knew was that it only happened around her and not when he was around other girls.

That was kind of puzzling but he supposed he wasn't the only one acting differently around the other, Sōma thought as he let his hand fall back in the water. He had noticed that she was too when he was in the vicinity. She was more on edge, more flustered and more upset. That and Nakiri always seemed to be somehow contradicting herself. Ever since the first time they met, she had seemed to completely enjoy his dish but then when he had asked her what she thought about it, she had said that it was disgusting...he didn't get it. If she had enjoyed it, why couldn't she just be honest? It made no sense to him. Even earlier, it seemed like she wanted him to apologize but when he had, she had gotten upset.

In short, she was confusing as hell, Sōma concluded as he let his head fall back and rest against the wall.

For now, he'd let the mystery that was Nakiri Erina alone and enjoy his bath. He'd have time to figure it out later. Just before he completely closed his mental file on her, a certain memory caught his attention and he straightened his posture.

When she visited him yesterday, just before leaving, hadn't she talked about a shokugeki?

* * *

 _ **Tuesday, somewhere on Tōtsuki grounds**_

The tranquility of the room was broken by the sound of a stack of paper hitting the wooden surface of the desk. Deep blue eyes looked up from the journal they've been reading as their owner smiled in anticipation.

 _Finally...!_

Yami had been waiting for this, for those cold purple eyes to look down on her as their blonde owner challenged her to a shokugeki. She almost thought the heiress would have forgotten about her with what had happened the day before, but thankfully she hadn't. Yami was happy she had come to school earlier that day and waited in this room which whereabouts she was sure Arato Hisako would found.

Finally! Finally, she'd get her revenge. Finally.

Yami cleared her throat in an attempt to hide her excitement and asked with feigned calm "What can I do for you?"

The princess sent a cold glare her way before she opened her mouth to reply disdainfully.

"Drop the act." she ordered and Yami smirked in response but didn't bother to say a word.

Erina spoke again. "I'm only here for one thing. Shokugeki." she stated as if that single word was enough to explain everything - and it was.

Yami's smirk widened in anticipation as her lips parted to ask "When?"

It was Erina's turn to smirk. "Tomorrow." she said as her eyes gained a sadistic glint.

Yami's blue eyes turned vicious as she nodded her agreement. She had been ready for this since ages ago and she could have said today instead for all that she cared. "Theme?" she inquired.

Erina's stance grew even haughtier than before. "Up to you." she simply replied in a way that clearly meant that she was doing her a favor by letting her choose something that'd maybe help her even if any attempt to go against her was futile.

Yami's eyes turned amused at this turn of events. She had somehow expected that and she knew exactly what she wanted. "Seafood." she announced in a stone cold voice before adding "If I win, you give funds to the Chan RS and rebuild a room for them."

Erina smiled in a 'As if I would lose to you' way but decided to entertain her opponent. "And _if_ you lose, you will do something I decide upon without complaint."

Erina somehow managed to say this in a way that expressed her feeling that this match was only a formality and that Yami'd better prepare herself for what was to come.

Despite knowing that Yami's fighting spirit, far from dying down, was actually fueled by those words. An excited and challenging smile stretched her lips before she replied with a firm voice.

"You've got yourself a deal."

* * *

 _End of chapter! Hope you enjoyed :)_

 _Answer to guest reviews:_

 **Sorina:** I'm happy that you're happy ^^ And I'm happy to be able to update too XD I love writing about Erina being jealous x) So I'm glad you enjoyed it ^^ Well, I was torn between the two as well XD I know why Erina's mad but Soma's reasons were good too so...yeah. Hum…because it was a horrible cliffhanger? XD Sorry? ^^' Thanks for reviewing ;D

 **Guest** (1): Sorry? Couldn't resist ^^' Was that fast enough? Did as fast as I could. :) Thanks ^^ And maybe ;) I don't know yet lol. But he may appear in flashbacks and such lol though I can't say for sure lol. Thanks for reviewing :)

 **Irza:** Here it is! XD Glad to know you enjoyed it :D Hope you enjoyed the end of the fight lol :) Thanks for reviewing :D

 **Guest** (2): I'm sorry? ^^' Couldn't resist temptation ^^' And I'm glad you enjoyed it :D I hope the wait wasn't too hard on you :) Thanks for reviewing :D

 **Nosilla:** I'm happy to know that you're enjoying it :D Thanks and you're super welcome ;) Thanks for reviewing ^^

 _Thanks to the registered reviewers too :D_ _ **raydark182**_ _,_ _ **Shirokurosen**_ _,_ _ **Seneseless**_ _,_ _ **Theblackbird123**_ _,_ _ **Hypocrisy**_ _,_ _ **TheBaka14**_ _,_ _ **PantherSeraphin**_ _-sama XD,_ _ **Jennosaur**_ _,_ _ **evolvelove**_ _,_ _ **SsinofPride**_ _(I just noticed O_O Roses! XD),_ _ **Kishoto**_ _,_ _,_ _ **Eramis8**_ _,_ _ **Light Sunshine**_ _,_ _ **Exercariver**_ _,_ _ **Hinate**_ _,_ _ **SomeRandomGuyOntheNet**_ _,_ _ **Justinsj5**_ _,_ _ **Kirit6**_ _,_ _ **Oni Tsubasa**_ _,_ _ **Erasels**_ _,_ _ **don2261**_ _and_ _ **soulxspirit125**_ _:D_

 _So, till next week?_

 _Ja ne_


	14. Ice cold flame

_Hello guys !_

 _I'm soooooo sorry for the long wait! Internship plus not much inspiration, then exams and now internship again… I thought about writing an author note but simply put it on hold in the end._

 _Anyway, here's a new chapter :) Hope you'll enjoy ^^ Thanks for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing ! It helps motivating me when I think about you guys ^^_

 _Special thanks to my beta_ _ **Kishoto**_ _:)_

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own SnS.

* * *

 **Chapter 14 : Ice cold flame**

* * *

"So?"

A feminine voice startled Erina out of her thoughts as the mental pictures of her soon to come victory disappeared and purple eyes flew to the right where the voice was coming from. It belonged to her cousin, Alice Nakri, who was leaning onto the nearby wall while her red eyes seemed to be seeing right through her.

A small moment of silence followed during which the princess regained enough composure to manage to get out a high "Alice?!" What was she even doing here? She sure hadn't expected to find her cousin standing just outside the room she had been meeting Yami in.

Her exclamation elicited a sly smile from the white-haired girl before it was replaced by a wide grin as the red-eyed vixen opened her mouth to speak. "Good afternoon Erina."

Erina's eye twitched in response.

"Don't you 'Good afternoon Erina.' me!" she snapped, which only served to widen Alice's grin as she continued to stare at her, completely unashamed.

They stared at each other in silence for a moment, Erina in mild irritation and Alice in complete calm, before Erina closed her eyes and sighed. Going against her stubborn cousin was useless and she was sure she'd drive her crazy before she knew it so it was better to end this staring contest right there and then.

When she spoke up again, her voice was relatively calmer.

"Don't just appear out of nowhere like that." she said as a way to conclude their previous small exchange. "Anyway, what are you doing here?" she asked, changing the subject. The only person that knew where she was at that moment should have been Hisako who had left ahead of her to go and prepare the things her mistress had asked for. She hadn't said a word about her location to the girl currently standing in front of her but it looked like she had been waiting for her to get out of the room, which made her curious as to how she knew she was there.

"Oh, I passed Hishoko on her way out earlier and she was mumbling things about you preparing your kitchen for your soon-to-come shokugeki. So I sent Ryō looking for you and decided to wait for you to come out." Alice replied as if it was obvious.

 _Ah._

The blonde silently wondered why she hadn't thought about that as she frowned. Her cousin had always been unpredictable and she always seemed to appear when you last expected her to so it really shouldn't have been that surprising.

"So?" Alice asked once again.

"So what?" Erina asked in return, as the look she gave her clearly conveyed that she wasn't getting where her cousin wanted to go with that.

Red eyes swiped over her as if scanning her before settling for looking straight into hers. They seemed to be saying that the reason behind her question should have been obvious while confused purple eyes clearly conveyed that it definitely was not.

Alice sighed once before opening her mouth to explain exactly just what she meant. "How did your meeting with stalker-chan go?"

Purple eyes widened in surprise and plump lips parted but soon came to a close as their owner's surprise subsided. Why was she even surprised in the first place? This was Alice. She always seemed to know whatever was going on somehow. So the blonde settled for answering her cousin's inquiry.

"It went exactly as planned." Erina simply said as a cold and cruel smile made its way to her lips.

Unfazed red eyes fixed the blonde whose aura had turned dark once again. Silence enveloped them as Erina drifted back to her vindictive thoughts and Alice just stared at her doing so, pensive.

Minutes went by with the two unmoving cousins before the white-haired one broke the silence.

"Why are you so upset over this?"

Time seemed to freeze as the question slowly sank in the blonde's mind. Slowly, really slowly, purple eyes focused back on the red-eyes teen standing in front of them as if discovering her for the first time.

The silence stretched for some more time while the two stared at each other, red eyes inquisitive and purples ones disbelieving.

After what felt like an eternity, Erina's lips slowly parted as two words passed them, breaking the silence.

"... _Excuse me_?" Erina asked slowly, her voice perfectly conveying her incredulity at being asked such a question. Was there even a need to ask? Wasn't the offense she had suffered clearly sufficient to explain her reaction?

A mild frown formed on Alice's face.

"Well, stalker-chan only released pictures of you kissing _your_ _boyfriend_. While it's a given that her doing so without your permission is bad, you getting this mad over it is kind of weird." Alice explained evenly.

Erina's eyes widened as every last bit of negative emotion left her in favor of the surprise she currently felt. Even if her cousin had left a lot of things unsaid (probably because you never knew who could be listening), she had gotten the message loud and clear.

While it was okay for her to be angry at having those kind of pictures spread around, the fact that it was her boyfriend she was kissing in them should have led her to be more of an embarrassed kind of angry, as opposed to the 'I am going to make you regret your actions and once I'm done with you, you will wish you were never born' kind of angry. Needless to say, she definitely belonged to the latter category...

But it still felt like she was missing something.

Alice was looking at her with an unreadable expression playing on her face and she seemed to want her to understand something, something that went beyond the sole matter with that stalker.

Erina tried to study her a little more attentively but she just couldn't seem to understand what she was trying to convey to her and Alice was steadily growing frustrated about that if the frown rapidly intensifying on her face was any indication.

Maybe it laid in her initial question? But she still didn't get it. Why shouldn't she be upset over it? Erina wondered as her eyebrows furrowed together and her lips slowly formed a frown of their own.

She was still trying to decipher it when a sigh caught her attention.

Focusing back on her cousin, the first thing she noticed was her resigned expression. Then, the half frustrated half understanding look she was giving her at the moment. And lastly, she wasn't leaning against the wall anymore. Which probably meant that she was going to leave.

It seemed that she had read her correctly because the next words that escaped Alice's mouth were "Never mind, you'll figure it out eventually." in a 'can't be helped' tone.

"Milady?" Ryō's voice broke the moment between the cousins as they both turned towards Alice's aide. "It's 4:30." He added as he gave her a mildly bored look.

At those words, Alice's face lit up and her whole body glowed with excitement, so much that the previous seriousness she had displayed almost seemed like a lie.

"Oh! It's already that time?!" Alice exclaimed, "The movie is gonna start soon! Let's go home Ryō!" she added as she immediately started walking towards the exit with a certain skip to her steps as she hummed to herself in anticipation with a barely contained grin trying to break free and reign over her face.

Then, as if just remembering her cousin's presence, she stopped and turned around towards Erina "I'll be going first! Don't stay out playing too late!" she added with a wink and a teasing voice.

Erina couldn't even muster indignation at her cousin's parting comment. She was still way too confused about their conversation. But thinking about it right now didn't seem like it'd help so she just blankly stared at her waving cousin.

Then, turning around, Alice took Ryō's left arm and promptly proceeded to drag him towards the exit, talking about a romantic movie and saying how great it would be to watch it sitting on a cushion while eating popcorn.

She could have stared at her excited cousin's retreating figure for a long time if someone blowing at the nape of her neck hadn't make her jerk out of her trance.

Spinning around, she discovered a grinning Sōma who seemed to be really pleased with himself if the glint of mirth present in his joyous eyes was to be trusted.

Erina cursed under her breath at being surprised like that (again) before entirely focusing on the lad.

"You!" she exclaimed in annoyance, "When are you going to stop doing that?!"

Sōma took a pensive stance and feigned to think about it for a while before grinning wider than before and replying with a teasing "Never. Your reactions are way too amusing for me to stop." The wink he added didn't help matters.

Erina silently boiled in response as she did her best not to explode right here and then. Completely focused on the annoying guy standing before her by now, she missed the fond look her cousin sent her way before completely disappearing from view.

A minute later, a relatively calmer Erina let out a long breath with her eyes closed before opening them again to look back up to the redhead.

"Putting that aside, what are you doing here? I thought I told you that you could go back first and needn't wait for me." Erina inquired.

"You did but the last time I went without you, you were furious afterwards." Sōma replied as he nonchalantly crossed his arms behind his head.

Erina instantly flushed at the reminder of the recent events. "Y-you...!" she stuttered in embarrassment and indignation. "That...that was different!" she exclaimed.

"Hai, hai." Sōma replied with the air of someone completely unconvinced as he let his arms fall back to his side and slid his right hand into his pocket.

Erina crossed her arms as a frustrated pout formed on her face. "You don't believe me, do you?!"

"Nope." Sōma replied, completely unrepentant. "Hard to when you spent the whole day ignoring me yesterday." he added as he sent her a flat look.

"That was different I tell you!" Erina repeated as she sent an extremely vexed glare his way.

Sōma blankly stared at the frustrated form of his 'girlfriend' standing in front of him. After what had happened the day before, he hadn't wanted to take any chance at displeasing the girl. And since he was supposed to be her boyfriend, he had decided to wait for her despite her dismissal. That and he actually wanted to talk with her.

"...right." He said flatly before changing the subject. "Anyway, I wanted to talk with you too."

Erina's eyes went from frustrated to confused and surprised in less than a second as the heiress stared at the lad. What did he want to talk about? It seemed to be a serious matter if the change in his posture was to be trusted.

"What is it?" she asked as she slightly tilted her head to the side.

Sōma looked deep into her eyes and they stared at each other in silence for a while as Erina grew more and more confused and curious. She couldn't quite place the look he was giving her and she was growing a little bit nervous under his gaze.

After some time, Sōma broke from his stillness and stepped towards her. "Come on." he started as he nodded towards the exit. "We'll talk somewhere else."

Erina nodded in response, still curious about the reason behind the redhead's sudden seriousness before following suit behind Yukihira as they headed towards the parking lot.

Once there, she immediately spotted Sōma's green bike, which was in the same spot they had left it this morning and soon enough, a helmet was thrown her way. Putting it on, she installed herself behind the boy and reflexively encircled his waist as Sōma started the engine. She was slowly getting used to riding his bike - to Sōma's greatest delight as he enjoyed teasing her about that - and their trips had become an enjoyable occurrence.

He was unusually quiet but she guessed he'd talk once they had reached their destination. Though it really was unusual for him not to blurt out whatever he was thinking, not minding the place where they were in the slightest. For him to do that, it must be something relating to their 'relationship' or something like that. If not, she didn't think he would have been so cautious. But he could surprise her. He always did.

Well, she would know what it was all about soon enough so she settled for enjoying the ride - not that she'd ever tell him that - as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth that was being emitted from Sōma's back. For some reason, all of the tension she had been feeling evaporated and a sense of profound ease engulfed her being. She really could get used to this...

Too soon, she felt the engine come to a stop and quickly detached herself from the redhead as he removed his headpiece, shaking his now free hair. She did the same after dismounting the moped and passed the helmet to Yukihira-kun. That done, she looked around and immediately recognized the gates of the Nakiri household.

Surprised purple eyes flew to the guy now standing beside her as she opened her lips to speak.

"My house?"

 _House, she says..._ Sōma internally sweat dropped at her word choice.

"Why here?" The blonde continued.

"Well, I thought it'd be better than the school hallways." Sōma explained while rubbing the nape of his neck.

 _Indeed_. Erina thought before turning around and inviting the redhead to follow her.

She first started to walk in direction of the gardens before she abruptly froze (causing Sōma to almost bump into her since he had been looking around a little) as irritation suddenly flowed into her being. The gardens were the place where it had all begun after all. Not trusting this place anymore, she changed directions and headed towards the entrance of the mansion instead and led the way to her office with Sōma trailing behind her.

Closing the door behind them, she then made her way towards the window and crossed her arms as she briefly let her eyes sweep over the scenery before breaking the silence.

"So?" she started, "What did you want to talk about?"

She expected him to start speaking immediately but when only silence answered her query, she slightly peeked over her shoulder only to spin around in shock and annoyance at the sight that greeted her. There, on the couch, was a Yukihira Sōma completely immersed in testing its texture as he slightly bopped up and down from time to time while muttering something about firmness and softness.

Erina observed the scene in silence for a moment as tension build up within her until she exploded, unable to endure it any longer.

"Yukihira Sōma!" she shouted, effectively catching the attention of the lad who turned his face towards her. "Will you stop messing around and say what you came here to say?!"

"Eh?" The redhead blankly looked at her for a second before understanding seemed to hit him as he remembered the reason of his presence there. "Oh! Right." He then cleared his throat and straightened in his seat a little while the blonde took that moment to calm down.

After that short silence, Sōma's lips parted as he exposed the subject he had wanted to discuss. "So, what have you planned for that shokugeki with stalker-san after your meeting?" he inquired in a relaxed tone.

"That's what you wanted to talk about?!" Erina exclaimed, taken aback as Sōma just made an affirmative sound in response. Erina stayed silent for a second before a thought occurred to her. "Wait a minute, how do you know that I was meeting with her today?!"

Sōma cocked his head to the side as he sent her a slightly confused look. "Weren't you talking about it with Arato when I came to fetch you this afternoon after classes?"

Erina's brain wasted no time in making that particular memory resurface.

("You can go back first Hisako. Prepare my first personal kitchen and ingredients while I meet this stalker to take care of the details. I'll join you later."

"Hai Erina-sama. Then, I'll go ahead of you." Hisako replied, and with a last bow as she started her way back to the mansion.)

Shortly after that, Yukihira-kun had appeared beside her and that's when she had told him that he could leave without her, intending to call a car once she was done with her business there. So he had heard that?

Apparently she had said that last bit of thought aloud since Sōma answered with a "Yeah." that clearly conveyed his slight surprise at being asked that since it seemed pretty obvious.

"So," Sōma continued, closing the parenthesis, "what did you plan?" he asked again.

Erina hesitated a second before deciding to just tell him what he wanted to know since he'd learn all about it soon anyway even if she didn't tell him anything and, since he was her boyfriend, it'd be weird if he was surprised. That and they were just coming out of an argument caused by a lack of communication. Wouldn't want to relive it all over again...

A breath passed past Erina's plumped lips before she focused her attention back onto her patiently waiting companion. "What do you want to know?" she asked, resigned.

Sōma sent her a wide grin. "Everything!" he simply answered.

The blonde sighed once more before she moved and sat down on her desk chair. Better get comfortable since it looked like it'd take a while.

"Okay, then let's start from the beginning I guess." she started and took a deep breath before locking eyes with Sōma whose entire attention was on her as he waited for her to start.

"So, the one who followed us on our date and took those pictures is a girl named Katsuna Yami. She's a first year too." Erina paused for a second as Sōma nodded to encourage her to continue. "Apparently, she was the photographer of the Chan RS and had an especially close relationship with its head."

"Chan RS?" Sōma asked. "Isn't that the Research Society that you destroyed a little after I arrived here?"

"Yeah, that's the one. They hadn't made any significant progress in years nor were they trying to find new recipes. Tōtsuki doesn't need Research Societies that don't try to evolve and advance anymore. And I needed a new kitchen building." Erina briefly explained.

Sōma's eyes hardened a little as he clenched his teeth but he didn't say a word and just waited for her to continue.

"It seems that she's doing that for revenge over that. Her demands were money for the Chan RS and a new club room. Our shokugeki will take place tomorrow afternoon. I let her choose the theme and she chose seafood so that's what we'll make tomorrow." she concluded in a 'There, you have it' tone as she turned the chair around so that her back was now on him.

Sōma waited for a while but when it seemed like she wouldn't continue, he decided to ask. "What are your demands?"

Erina's reluctance to answer that question was almost palpable as she let silence fall onto them. Sōma was beginning to think that she wouldn't answer when her voice broke the silence, way colder than it had been moments prior.

Sōma's eyes widened with each word that left her tongue. His posture went from relaxed to rigid as his whole expression grew colder. His whole body language screamed disapprobation.

When she finished, the air around them had grown so tense that you could cut it with a knife, and the atmosphere of the room had darkened considerably.

After what seemed like an eternity, Sōma spoke up and when he did, his voice was as cold as the Antarctic.

"Is that really necessary?" was his simple question.

Erina slowly turned around to face him, her voice void of any emotion. "She brought it upon herself." she answered just as simply.

They stared at each other as the tense silence made its comeback at full force. To Sōma, it was as if he was discovering a Nakiri Erina that was unknown to him until that moment. Yes, she had been cold to him at times before but never that cold. When she confronted him, there always were feelings in her, even if they weren't good feelings. This Erina was completely emotionless and completely heartless as well to boot. This simply was too much. Thinking about that kind of punishment just because of some pictures, this was just too cruel. If it was him, that wouldn't have mattered as much but for this Katsuna Yami, if Arato's information was to be trusted (and he thought it was), it was simply too cruel.

"Those were just pictures." Sōma stated coldly, his tone clearly conveying that taking such measures for that was simply too much.

"Those were pictures depicting me of the Nakiri household in compromising positions with you in public." Erina countered, just as coldly.

"Most of them depict situations that didn't even happen." Sōma retorted, standing his ground.

"And that makes it better? As far as everyone else who saw them is concerned, those pictures are real, regardless of what actually occurred." Erina retaliated, holding his cold gaze.

Sōma stayed silent for a moment before he spoke again.

"Even if that's true, it doesn't justify this course of action." he returned, not approving of her decision in the least.

"It does since it sullies the name of the Nakiri household and affects my own pride, image and honor." Erina retorted as a heated glint appeared in her previously completely cold eyes.

"And you're willing to go that far to restore your wounded pride?" Sōma asked heatedly, finally losing his cool. "Don't you realize that this is just too cruel?"

Erina just stared at him in silence, her expression not shifting in the slightest. She made it completely obvious what she was thinking and a verbal response wasn't even necessary for Sōma to understand that she wouldn't think twice before taking that route.

When Sōma spoke up again, his voice was a little calmer than it had been.

"She's just trying to get back something that was important to her. And while it's a given that the way she chose to go around things isn't the right one, it doesn't mean that you need to go that far with your retribution." he said, trying to convince the blonde to change the sanction while she still could. He understood that she wouldn't let it go like that but if she could at least choose another punishment then it'd be better.

Sōma stared deep into Erina's eyes as he tried to discern any sort of hint or sign that his words had made her waver and that she might be willing to change her mind and see that this was just too cruel. He searched for something, anything, a glint, a change of expression, a shift in her posture but even after some time had passed he found none. There was absolutely no sign indicating that the girl was willing to go back on her decision.

Sensing a great sense of disappointment settle in the pitch of his stomach as his eyes widened ever so slightly, Sōma stood up and turned towards the door.

" _This_ is a part of you that I don't like." he stated in a tone that clearly conveyed that he had no wish to do anything with this kind of Erina before he started for the door, not sparing her a single glance and thus missing the way her face crumbled at his words and their innuendo. Reaching for the door, he exited the room without saying another word.

It clicked shut with a sense of finality and soon enough, the only sounds Erina could hear were his fading footsteps, echoing through the hallways of the Nakiri mansion.

Left alone, she stood up and made her way to the window where she watched him seat himself on his bike and start making his way back to his dorm.

As she looked at his disappearing figure, Erina started to doubt her decision. She had kept a firm ground when she was confronting him, refusing to understand what he was saying but now, as Alice's words came back to her mind as well, she wondered.

 _Am I making a mistake?_

* * *

 _And cut! …yeah, not yet for the shokugeki but it's coming soon._

 _Answers to guest reviews :_

 **Sorina** : Hum, in a little more time? ^^' You are? I hope this chapter cleared some of your confusion? Thank you and hope you enjoyed :) Thanks for reviewing :D

 **Izra** (alias **Guest 1**?): I'm really sorry for the extra long wait… ;( Yeah, maybe next time ;) Thanks for reviewing :D

 **Guest** (2?): Somehow, it ended up being just that XD Hope you enjoyed :) And seeing how it's going, it might just end up being really long… ;) Thanks for reviewing x)

 **Nosilla** : Happy to know that ^^Had lots of fun writing it so am really glad you enjoyed it x) …sorry for the long wait :( And thanks for reviewing :)

 **Kaito1412** : I came around to updating :) Happy to know you like it ^^ Thanks for reviewing :D

 _Thanks to the registered reviewers as well_ _ **Kishoto**_ _,_ _ **raydark182**_ _,_ _ **felixthebleach**_ _,_ _ **Eramis8**_ _,_ _ **xALLMIGHTx**_ _,_ _ **PantherSeraphin**_ _-sama,_ _ **huntergo123**_ _,_ _ **Kuroppy**_ _,_ _ **Mariafe727**_ _,_ _ **Generation Zero**_ _,_ _ **evolvelove**_ _,_ _,_ _ **Hinate**_ _,_ _ **Justinsj5**_ _,_ _ **SsinofPride**_ _,_ _ **Crumpetz1**_ _,_ _ **KageroXover**_ _,_ _ **Light Sunshine**_ _,_ _ **soulxspirit125**_ _,_ _ **Hypocrisy**_ _,_ _ **Undertheskys**_ _,_ _ **alanvaladez**_ _, and_ _ **Erina-fans**_ _:D_

 _Again, I'm really sorry for the long wait! I don't know when next time will be but I'll update as soon as I can. I intend to finish this fic, no matter how much time it takes me._

 _Till next time!_

 _Ja ne_


	15. Burning hot or freezing cold?

_Wassup y'all!_

… _that was a request XD *winks at LucythePir8* And I'm sorry guys… It took forever. A little less time than last time but still… OTL I'm really sorry :(_

 _On another note, thanks for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing :) I love you guys :D_

 _Thanks to my beta **Kishoto** as well :D_

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own SnS.

* * *

 **Chapter 15 : Burning hot or freezing cold ?**

* * *

 _ **Knock knock knock**_

"Come in!" a distracted and carefree Alice called, inviting whoever was knocking at her door to enter without looking away from the dying heroine swearing eternal love to her desperate lover with a last loving kiss.

As they detached from each other as a last tear fell down from the passing girl's cheek, Alice finally deigned to look away from the screen and towards her definitely quiet visitor. Maybe it was Ryō? He had left after the first half of the movie had ended, promising to come back before the start of the second one.

 _Oh. It's not Ryō._ Alice thought as her red eyes fell upon the quiet and hesitating form of her blonde cousin who seemed to be nervously standing at her threshold.

"Erina?" Alice called out, her voice dripping with the surprise she felt at seeing her there. Her cousin rarely ever came to visit her even if they lived in the same house. If she was there then it must be pretty serious. "What happened?" she asked once she had her cousin's attention.

Unsure amethyst eyes rested on her as their owner seemed to hesitate about their next course of action. Her plump lips parted before they came to a close once again as a delicate hand came to rest over them, perfectly conveying the internal conflict that was raging inside the blonde.

Something big must have happened.

The last time she had seen Erina, she had been talking with Yukihira-kun. She supposed they came back together after that. Maybe they had a talk afterwards? She seemed to recall having heard two set of footsteps passing by her room about an hour ago but only one set thirty minutes later. The latter seemed to be much more eager to leave and had sounded almost cold, if that was possible. Seeing as her cousin was now standing in front of her looking more distressed and lost than Alice had ever seen her, she assumed that they'd probably had some kind of disagreement. It didn't take much thought to figure out just what they'd disagreed about. There were few things that could set off someone like Sōma like that so it couldn't really be anything else at the moment. Especially when you considered how immune he was to her cousin's mood swings so...

Looking back at the TV, the white-haired girl checked to ensure that it was indeed recording the show before putting it to mute and inviting the still standing girl to come and sit down on her bed where she herself relocated to by patting the empty space next to her and looking expectantly at her cousin.

The blonde hesitated a few seconds before making her way to her and sitting down next to her. Then her purple eyes fell on the TV screen as they stared unseeingly at it, not taking notice of what was playing. It seemed like she was still unsure of what to do. Then again, it was understandable since she rarely was in a situation where she sought help from other people. It just didn't sit well with her to do so, but this was her cousin so it was probably alright for her to ask. But even that reasoning didn't lighten her uneasiness and awkwardness.

In the midst of her thoughts, a light sigh caught her attention. Turning her head towards its origin, she discovered her cousin, softly smiling at her, her eyes gentle and filled with caring. It was at times like this when she fully understood how much her cousin cared about her, despite the occasional argument and their constant teasing of each other.

At that moment, she felt like telling her everything and her lips parted but once again, no words escaped them. As they came to a close, a frustrated and somewhat worried frown made its way to her face and she lowered her eyes to the bed they were currently sitting on, completely lost in thought.

Another light sigh was heard and Erina lifted her eyes back to her still softly smiling cousin.

"Does this have anything to do with Yukihira-kun?" Alice asked softly.

Purple eyes widened as a surprised "How...?" escaped their owner's lips.

Alice playfully scowled at her "Pleeeeeease. There aren't that many things that can put you in this sort of state."

Erina's lips parted as the girl prepared to riposte but they soon came to a close before any sound had made it through as she realized that it was indeed the truth. How many times had she lost her temper simply because he had that stupid grin on his face? And recently, the boy was really throwing her emotions for a loop...but this time, it wasn't just a loop. With that single sentence, he had sent them downhill in a fraction of second and they had yet to resurface.

What was she supposed to do now? They had just made up and here they were, already fighting about something else that was completely unimportant. Why did he care so much about what she would do to that girl? It had nothing to do with him...or maybe it did since he was on those pictures too but, he hadn't cared that much when he was feeding his failures to Isato. She wasn't sure the poor guy would ever get over this...but he had brought it down over himself. If he hadn't published that trash, none of that would have happened and she wouldn't be in that precise situation.

Now what? She was sure Yukihira-kun hated her now and wanted absolutely nothing to do with her...

Somehow this thought made her heart tighten as something fell into the pit of her stomach. She vaguely wondered what this feeling was but was soon brought out of her thoughts by a warm sensation on her hand.

Purple eyes flew in that direction and its origin was soon revealed. Alice's hand was now on top of hers. It encircled hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. Looking up at her cousin, Erina discovered encouraging and comforting eyes gently watching her.

Taking a small breath, she then whispered in a really small voice "...What should I do now...?"

Her once lively eyes seemed to be so fragile now, just like thin glass that would shatter at the slightest touch. Alice had never seen her cousin looking like that. She seemed at a complete loss as of what to do and entirely vulnerable. The confident and strong willed Nakiri Erina was nowhere to be seen. The person currently next to her was simply a confused teenager who had yet to understand her feelings and thus was completely lost about how she should proceed to act with the lad.

"Calm down Erina. We're going to find a solution. But first, tell me what happened." Alice asked again.

Erina gave her a little but firm nod as she managed to compose herself enough to finally start telling her about the recent events. During her narration, Alice just listened to her quietly, sometimes nodding to encourage her and other times frowning in thought. When she was sure that Erina was done, Alice let her attention completely divert from her cousin and started to think about the situation.

So after she had last seen them, they had indeed come back together and then Yukihira-kun had asked about stalker-chan and the shokugeki which had led to a cold argument about her choice of punishment that he had deemed as way too cruel. Then, he had left her after saying that he didn't want anything to do with her when she was like that (not really but that's what Erina understood from his words and attitude so...) which had led to Erina being heartbroken (not really but that was how Alice had perceived it) and distressed about how to win his respect and love back (not that Erina had said it like that but it was for sure what she really wanted even if she herself didn't realize it yet, so).

 _Hmm...what is the right course of action?_ Alice thought. She kind of understood why the lad would be upset given his personality and his justice driven mind but well...that was that. The question was how her cousin should proceed to have him accept her once again. _Hmm..._ Alice crossed her arms under her chest as she thought about it. How could she help her cousin? She had little to no experience in these kinds of things but it really was rare for Erina to come to her for assistance so she didn't want to let her down. She'd try to provide her with all the help she could.

Red eyes swept over the blonde's fragile and waiting form before plunging into the depths of her eyes. What she saw in them renewed her resolve as her brain tried to come up with something that might help her cousin.

"Ah! I know!" Alice exclaimed suddenly as a wide grin made its way to her lips.

Erina's expression turned confused. "What?"

Alice placed her hand on her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "I might have just what you need." she declared with a wide smile.

* * *

Two hours later, Erina walked out of the Nakiri audiovisual room, even more confused than before. After that curiosity inducing sentence, Alice had rummaged through her large selection of movies and put on 'Darkness or Light?'.

The movie was all about a woman whose entire family consisted of assassins. She was no exception. She killed people on contract and had trained for it ever since she was a little girl. For her, killing had become as simple and easy as breathing. After one of her mission, she had crossed paths with a man her age whose expression intrigued her. After some more coincidental meetings, they started talking and got to know each other. She renounced her family's ways and eloped with him. They were happy together and soon had a daughter. They had just celebrated her fifth birthday when some relatives of one of her past mission target tried to kill her daughter by shooting her. Thanks to her quick reflexes, they had avoided the worst but the injury was serious nonetheless and the little girl was rendered unconscious. She was stabilized later after rushing at the hospital while those two guys were arrested. But her mother wanted more, she wanted them dead while her father tried to dissuade her, knowing the value of life since he had lost his grandparents in an accident after one of his relatives died of illness. His parents had made sure to teach it to him and he was completely opposed to her plans. He had known she had been an assassin before but had accepted her anyway. But now, he just couldn't accept her plan of revenge. She was really going overboard and this disagreement led to a fierce argument between the two.

Erina still remembered it because it had sounded a little similar to the one she just had, with more shouting.

It went like this.

("What are you even saying?! Are you really gonna kill those guys and their entire family?!" the husband shouted as his eyes could barely contain all the disbelief he was presently feeling.

"If that's what it takes to ensure my daughter's safety then yeah!" the woman shouted back, standing her ground.

The brown-haired man turned away in exasperation before facing her fiercely and yelling "YOUR DAUGHTER IS SAFE!"

"NO, SHE'S NOT! Who knows when those guys will be back to finish what they started?!" his wife immediately retorted as she exposed the danger her daughter was still facing.

The exasperation took him over with a renewed fire. He was aware of the risks and he had a long talk with the police to be sure that they wouldn't come into contact with his daughter, asking them to call him if they came out of prison at some point, be it by their own means or not. And his wife had been there during this conversation.

"They caught them! The police caught them! They're in their cell right now! They won't be back to kill her!"

"They might come back when they're out of it! What if they escape?!" she shouted in response.

Instead of falling into the same cycle all over again, he decided to change the direction of it and directly plunge into the heart of the problem.

"And so you're just going to kill them?! Don't you realize that it won't solve anything?! They came here because _you_ killed their relative in the first place!"

That shut her up as she stared wide-eyed at her husband who was now huffing and puffing as he tried to catch his breath and fill his demanding lungs with the air they were reclaiming. When he spoke again, his voice was calmer and his eyes were pleading.

"Do you really want to revert back to that cold-blooded murderer who only knew how to kill? Not caring about the lives she destroyed as she did so? Is a life so insignificant to you?"

He paused to look at her and search for a sign that his words had reached her. All he found in those cold depths was steel determination.

"They tried to kill my daughter." she stated, avoiding his questions, her voice burning with the desire of revenge that she presently felt.

"They failed!" he exclaimed, completely ticked off. "She is _alive_!" he cried out. "And she needs her mother by her side." he concluded his tone grave as he pointed at the little girl lying on the hospital bed just next door. She didn't even glance at her, deciding to stare at her husband instead as he stared back at her gravely.

After a long silence, he turned towards the door, giving her his back and said with a last glance at her "But I see that her mother is no longer in this room. Darkness can't be chased that easily, huh?" he finished as he entered the room where the girl lied unconscious before delicately taking her petite hand in his bigger one.

The woman was left to stare wide-eyes at the implication of this sentence but soon shook her head and resolutely left the hospital without a glance back, missing the sorrow that filled her husband's gaze as he stared down at her retreating form rapidly disappearing in the surrounding darkness.)

Afterwards, she had left and started to look up the whereabouts of the two new prisoners' family. She finally found them in a small retired village where the air was comfortable and the people really friendly. Aiming at her first target, she was about to shoot when a little girl about her own daughter's age passed in front of her viewfinder. Her daughter's and husband's face came to her mind as well as her parting words with the latter. She wavered. In the end, she drew back and made her way back to the hospital where she joined her husband by her daughter's side. There, she apologized for her reaction and made up with her family, promising to do her best not to fall into darkness once again.

That had made Erina think.

Was she supposed to apologize as well? She did nothing wrong so why would she? He was the one who had deemed her retribution too cruel and gotten angry with her. Was it really that cruel? It wasn't _that_ much of a punishment. Technically, she had done much worse...if you forgot the fact that she had exploited her adversary's weakness this time. But she wasn't in the wrong for wanting to punish her for her audacity so she really didn't get why she should apologize to anyone for that. In fact, she was the one who should be apologized to. So why had it turned that way -

"Erina-sama! Here you are. I was looking all over for you." Hisako's voice interrupted her train of thought.

Focusing back on her surroundings, Erina followed the direction her voice was coming from and turned towards her. Hisako was slightly panting and seemed to have been in a rush for quite a while if the state of her moderately disheveled hair was to be taken into consideration.

"What is it Hisako?" the blonde asked as she looked back into her secretary's eyes.

"Well," the purple-haired girl started, "you asked me to prepare your kitchen but you never came in the end so I was worried something had happened." she explained as she joined her hands in front of her.

Purple eyes widened as she realized that she had indeed forgotten to inform her friend that she would be there later than planned. A lot had happened in so little time and this had completely slipped her mind. A single word escaped Erina's mouth as realization dawned on her.

"Ah."

Then, fully getting back on Earth, she continued.

"Sorry about that. Let's get going to that kitchen. I have a shokugeki to prepare for after all." she said before turning on her heels and heading towards the kitchen that was obediently waiting for her to come and start thinking about her dish.

* * *

"S-Sōma-kun?"

Fiery golden eyes slid over the 303 room furniture until they fell onto their owner's blue-haired dorm mate who flinched back as they rested on her.

"Eeeeek!" Tadokoro shrieked as tears welled up into her yellow eyes.

Noticing her reaction, Sōma realized that he must have had a scary face on and tried to school his expression. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath then reopened them again. Apparently he succeeded since the cowering girl seemed to relax a little. After a light sigh, he spoke.

"What is it?" he asked, trying to sound as calm and carefree as possible.

Barely managing to look back at her slightly more approachable friend, Megumi spoke up, "D-don't you want to eat dinner? Everybody's waiting for you downstairs." she finished as her eyes gained a hopeful glint.

A moment of silence passed between them as her request sank in.

"Oh." Sōma simply mumbled before continuing in a bigger volume, "I'm not that hungry right now. I think I'll pass for tonight."

Megumi's face fell at his response. She had hoped he'd come down for a bite with the others. When he had come back to the dorm earlier he had looked like, like he had had some kind of big argument again but this time he had looked kind of exhausted and angry and disappointed. It was a weird mix of emotions but that was how he had looked. Add to that the fact that he had completely ignored his surroundings and gone straight to his room and you got a bunch of worried Polar Star residents. And so she had been designated (by Yūki) to go and check on their fellow dorm mate. But now, she just couldn't find it in herself to ask what she had come to ask.

Seeing her fidgeting in the doorway, Sōma easily guessed the situation. _Looks like I worried them all..._ He thought as he considered going down to reassure them. But, he really didn't feel like it right now. That said, he couldn't stay in his room forever so he'd have to go down at some point and all that thinking wouldn't change the situation.

Coming to a decision, he took a sitting position before sighing and breaking the awkward silence.

"Okay. Tell them I'm coming. Just give me five minutes." Sōma said as he mustered up a small smile.

That seemed to have an instant effect on Megumi who instantly stopped fidgeting and beamed at him. "Okay!" she said with a large smile, "Then, see you in a few." she added before closing his door and walking down the hallway in direction of the dinner room.

Once he was sure she was gone, Sōma plopped back down on his bed and let his forearm come over his face and hide it from any supposed prying eyes.

He stayed like that for some time before a single thought passed through his mind. _And here I thought she was changing... Guess I was wrong._

It was a bitter realization and he didn't know why it affected him that much but it did, somehow it really did.

He contemplated the thought some more before deciding that it was enough. Plus he had worried his dorm mates who were currently waiting for him to come down.

Refusing to cause them anymore worry than this, Sōma sat up and proceeded to stand up without any more delay before making his way to the door and opening it to access to the hallway.

As he closed it behind him, a roof tile subtly took back its rightful place as dull sounds began to fade in the background.

* * *

 _This is perfect!_ Yami thought as she tasted her dish one last time.

She had spent months on it in hope to someday have a chance to defeat Tōtsuki's ice queen, and now, she finally had that chance. She would have to thank Yukihira Sōma. If it hadn't been for him, she doubted she would have been able to succeed in her efforts in such a short time (and that was assuming she succeeded at all...).

Well, no use thinking about that right now. All that mattered now was tomorrow. She just couldn't wait for it to come. Finally, finally. After all this time, finally she would exact her revenge.

 _The time to answer for your deeds has finally come, Nakiri Erina!_

* * *

 _Hum…the end? Next I think/hope that the shokugeki will finally start?_

 _Answer to guest reviews :_

 **Sorina:** See? XD Cliffhangers can be nice sometimes lol XD Indeed, it is coming soon ;) Thanks :) And thanks for your review ;D

 **DankDoggo:** Yeah :) Sorry for the long wait once again… :( Hope you liked this chapter too :) Thanks and thanks for reviewing :D

 **Nosilla:** Happy to know you liked it :) Does that answer to at least one of your questions? ;) Well, as for her punishment, will have to wait some more ;) Maybe it is. Will you tell me, once it's revealed, whether you were right or not? Hmm, I guess it was. A little too dramatic for you I presume? Glad you liked the rest at least :) …sorry for the long wait :( but thanks for reviewing x)

 **Guest:** Here it is! Sorry for the wait and thanks for reviewing :)

 **Irza:** True. And this one took a while too…sorry. Yup! ;) Not yet but it'll come soon enough ;D Thanks for reviewing :)

 **xoxo:** Sorry for the wait! Hope you enjoyed :)

 **king:** Happy to know that ^^ Thank you :D

 _Thanks to the registered reviewers as well_ _ **raydark182**_ _,_ _ **evolvelove**_ _,_ _ **Kishoto**_ _,_ _,_ _ **DSDK**_ _,_ _ **Hypocrisy**_ _,_ _ **JeGosu**_ _,_ _ **Eramis8**_ _,_ _ **LucythePir8**_ _,_ _ **Justinsj5**_ _,_ _ **Undertheskys**_ _,_ _ **SsinofPride**_ _,_ _ **Light Sunshine**_ _,_ _ **Aamu16**_ _,_ _ **Shlugo**_ _,_ _ **KaleDGhoul**_ _,_ _ **chestnutchris**_ _,_ _ **2n2kas**_ _,_ _ **xALLMIGHTx**_ _and_ _ **HiragaSaito16**_ _:)_

 _Thanks for putting up with me (am done with my internship so hope the wait will be much shorter next time) and for letting me know what you are thinking :) Love you :D_

 _Ja ne_


	16. Burning fire

_Hello guys :D_

 _It's getting better right? The waiting time XD I'll try to decrease it a little again next time. Hopefully. Maybe._

 _Anyway, thanks for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing :D And more than 300 reviews? Did I say I love you already? XD Really, thanks for sharing your thoughts with me x)_

 _I apologize in advance for any mistakes that may have slipped my attention._

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own SnS.

* * *

 **Chapter 16: Burning fire**

* * *

 _ **Wednesday morning, Nakiri mansion**_

The sound of an engine coming to a stop in front of the Nakiri residence made its way to Erina's office. A pair of surprised brown eyes looked out the window to confirm its origin. They were just in time to see its owner take off their helmet, thus releasing their spiky red hair, before completely dismounting the green moped and walking towards the entrance of the manor with determined steps.

 _Wha-_

Brown eyes widened before flying to their owner's mistress and confusedly resting on her. Hisako was pretty sure Erina-sama had said that Yukihira-kun probably wouldn't come to pick her up this morning and that they would leave together a little later than customary. She hadn't asked for details since the blonde had seemed quite despondent already and had only nodded, making a mental note to ask later and to watch over her even more than usual.

But he had come, seemingly here to pick Erina-sama up.

Just what was going on? Hisako now regretted not questioning her mistress any further…but now wasn't the time for that. She had to inform Erina-sama who had yet to look up from the files she was reading.

She was about to do just that when the sound of someone knocking on the door echoed in the room.

Purple eyes lifted to the door, mildly unfocused from reading all those papers.

"Come in." Erina said, inviting whoever was there to enter.

The door slowly opened, revealing an employee of the manor.

Intrigued by the unusual disturbance, Erina focused all of her attention on said employee as she folded both her hands under her delicate chin before asking.

"What is it?"

"Your friend is here to pick you up, ojou-sama." he diligently announced from the door.

After a small pause during which she let his words sink in, Erina slowly parted her plumped lips and not believing her ears, she finally asked "...who?"

"Your friend, your red-haired friend." he promptly elaborated.

"Oh." Erina simply let out in response, not really comprehending what was happening.

Having fulfilled his mission, the employee bowed to her and respectfully excused himself before disappearing behind the closed door at her nod of dismissal.

Hisako watched her shell shocked mistress for a second and diverted her gaze as she silently wondered if she'd be the one to announce this kind of things to her mistress someday...with this, it made twice. Twice she intended to say it and twice she had been beaten to it. A small breath made it through her lips before she shook her head. This wasn't the time to be thinking about that. For now, she had to attend to her lady's needs, and right now she -

 _Huh?_

Hisako blinked in confusion. As her brown eyes had lowered to look at Erina-sama, an empty chair was the only sight that greeted them. They immediately flew upwards in direction of the door and found it opened before noticing a strand of honey blond hair that quickly disappeared from sight.

"E-Erina-sama?!" she called out to her as she quietly cursed under her breath.

Wasting no time, she immediately started for the door and took the direction of the grand hall that was situated just after the main entrance of the manor. If her reasoning was correct then that was where she had gone. There was just no way that it was anywhere else in the current situation. She was almost there anyway so she would be able to confirm it soon enough.

With a last turn, she reached her destination and the sight of her blonde friend standing at the top of the staircase as she seemed to be staring at the entrance where the redhead was located greeted her.

Finally looking away from the painting he had been staring at (just why did he feel like he knew this woman…?), Sōma looked up and his golden eyes fell right into purple ones. They stayed like that for a while until Sōma started to blink, fully coming back to his senses.

As if only now acknowledging their presence, the lad greeted them both with a flat "Yo."

That seemed to bring Erina out of her trance as she asked "Yu-Yukihira-kun?" in a tone that clearly indicated that she believed that her eyes were playing tricks on her.

The boy looked at her in question as he slightly tilted his head to the left beforeanswering with a mildly confused "Yeah..." Then, dismissing her weird reaction in favor of turning around towards the door he declared "Come on, we're going to be late." without any real enthusiasm.

The blonde just stared at his retreating figure until he exited the house before her legs finally deigned to go after him.

"Wait!" she exclaimed as she finally exited the house as well.

Sōma paused in the motion of putting on his helmet midair. His left foot was anchored in the ground as his right one was already in place, raring to go.

He glanced at the heiress form over his shoulder to where she was standing, evening her slightly ragged breath after this small pursuit. Now, that he properly looked at her, she seemed a little bit shaken and confused. A small part of him wanted to inquire the reason behind her present state while the other just wanted to be done with this as fast as possible. The latter one rapidly smothered the former and what resulted of this short clash was an uncaring Sōma who blankly stared at the unmoving blonde.

Then, fully turning his face towards her, he flatly asked "What is it?" as he let the headpiece rest onto his lap.

The apathetic feeling his eyes were giving her rendered Erina still. The day before they were still looking at her with so much liveliness and mischief but now, these once so warm golden eyes looked like cold and lifeless metal.

Was that all she'd ever see in them from now on? For some reason, she felt a sharp pain in her chest and something landed heavily at the pit of her stomach. This was her doing right? She had never wanted that but somehow, it happened. Was there even a way to make it right once again?

Purple eyes widened slightly as a spark of hope appeared in their depth.

 _But then maybe..._

"Why are you here?" Erina asked in a tone that she tried to make as neutral as possible.

She didn't want him to be able to see the hope that this simple question hid behind it, hope that maybe she still had a chance at making things right, hope that maybe he would forget all of this, somehow. It was silly, really, but it was there.

Sōma blinked twice at her question before facing forward once again. "I told you I'd come, didn't I? A man doesn't go back on his word." he answered simply in a tone that clearly told that this was the only reason why he was there. That and a small part of him wanted to believe that she would change her mind about that punishment. He wasn't foolish enough to believe that she would lose to this stalker so it all came down to this in the end.

Sōma gritted his teeth in frustration as he put on his helmet with a little more force than necessary, completely missing the way Erina's face fell slightly.

 _Of course, it wouldn't be so simple..._ Erina thought as she averted her gaze from him towards the ground. As she did so, a sharp pain made itself known in her chest. Her delicate hand made its way to the front of her shirt and tightly clenched the place where her heart was located.

 _Why does it hurt like that? Why am I feeling this way? Why does what he thinks matter to me so much?_

She didn't know and she just couldn't seem to come up with an answer. What was this feeling supposed to be?

"Oi."

Sōma's voice brought her out of her musings and she immediately lifted her gaze back up to him. An helmet being held out to her was the first thing she noticed and she stared at it without making any move to take it.

In front of her lack of reaction, Sōma prompted in a slightly impatient voice. "Are you coming or not?"

That seemed to act as a trigger as the girl extended her hand to grab the headpiece being presented to her and put it on without further ado before settling behind the boy. As she lifted her arms, she hesitated for a second. Usually she would just wrap them around his midsection but today, she wasn't sure that this was the right thing to do anymore.

She finally settled for holding onto the hem of his cardigan just when Sōma started the engine and started driving with a rather rash start which resulted in Erina urgently throwing her arms around his midsection to avoid falling off, only to have her brain frozen in bewilderment.

He had gone stiff.

Yukihira-kun had gone stiff for a second. It was the first time this had happened ever since she could recall. It had only been for a short time but he certainly had.

Somehow, it hurt. Furthermore, since things had gone this way because of her choices, she felt a strange feeling spreading inside her. Would she be able to make things right once gain?

Her arms tightened their hold on him subconsciously in response to her negative thoughts. The warmth that had once been so enjoyable and comforting had now become a reminder of what she might lose -

No.

She couldn't think like this. She wouldn't think like this. To begin with, why was she even thinking about those kind of things? If he never came back then fine! Wasn't that her wish ever since she met him? To never have anything to do with him?

It was...or at least it had been. Somewhere along the way she had come to -

Wait. Where were those thoughts going? She had better things to think about! Like her upcoming shokugeki with this photographer for example.

Besides, she could still turn everything around with it. During this long night, after having decided on her dish, she had taken a decision that would change everything while still benefiting her. She just had to do that and it would be fine...probably. It should be anyway. For now, the only thing she had to do was go through this day and wait until the outcome of the decisive shokugeki.

With this, everything would come to an end.

* * *

 _ **Wednesday afternoon, arena hallways**_

Even footsteps echoed in the empty hallways as Katsuna Yami made her way to the preparation room that had been designated to her for the shokugeki. It would start really soon now and she had to take care of the small details before she would be perfectly ready so she walked in a moderate pace, not too fast and not too slow, just her usual one.

As she was thinking about this, another set of footsteps echoed through the corridors and she stopped in her tracks and focused back on her surroundings to discover the famous boyfriend and infamous transfer student, standing in the middle of the empty hallways, not too far from her.

"Oh? If it isn't Yukihira Sōma. To what do I owe this honor?" Yami replied with a smile as her deep blue eyes fell into his golden ones.

Sōma stared in her eyes and all he saw was steel determination and a burning fire which seemed eager to be let loose. It was clear, this girl knew perfectly well what she was doing and was completely set on getting a chance to get her revenge, if Erina's Intel was to be trusted - not that he doubted Arato's work in the least...which was exactly why he had been so against this punishment.

After this small pause, Sōma opened his mouth to answer her inquiry. "Not much actually, just wanted to meet the one who had taken these photographs." he said in the same tone he would have said that the weather was clear this day.

"Oh?" Yami said as she lifted her left eyebrow in curiosity.

Sōma continued to stare at her in silence for a long moment before his face did a 180 and relaxed into an almost goofy expression. "Those were really good pictures, you're a really good photographer." he praised.

Yami's expression shifted to a more relaxed one at the praise. "Why, thank you." she replied with a polite smile before suspiciously asking "You really think so?"

"Yeah." Sōma confirmed with a small nod, "If I didn't know any better I would have totally believed that we kissed." he added as his eyes sharpened on the girl.

Yami's blue eyes gained a vicious glint as they sharpened as well. "Right? I just couldn't resist when the opportunity came." she explained in a lower tone as her face broke into a malicious smile.

Golden clashed against blue for a long while before Sōma broke the silence.

"You knew that she wouldn't stay still after that right?" he asked, more to confirm what he already thought to be true than anything else.

Yami snorted as she closed her eyes for a while before opening them again. When she did, the look she sent him was just spiteful.

"Aa." she confirmed as she shrugged her shoulders in a way that clearly meant that it had been obvious and really easy to guess for her. "There's no way she would have let that slide. I was hoping she'd ask for a shokugeki and I was right." she explained almost proudly.

Sōma's hands clenched into fists as his teeth ground together. This girl was a fool. She didn't even know what she had done, what Erina was planning to do to her. Just thinking about it was enough to spoil his mood. But now wasn't the time for this. Right now, he was more concerned about the girl's possible future.

Oblivious to his change of disposition, Yami continued in her tale. "You know, I should thank you. If it wasn't for you I never would have had the chance to get my revenge. It's really all thanks to you." she finished looking right into his eyes.

She was briefly taken aback by what she saw there. Concern and pity. Why would he pity her? She wasn't supposed to be pitied! This was a joyful moment for her and she didn't this guy to come and ruin it.

"Stop looking at me like that!" Yami exclaimed in irritation. "Are you so sure about her victory that you pity me for even trying to defeat her?!" she asked, irked.

Sōma ignored her inquiry and replied with a question of his own. "...Is doing that really the only thing that will give you peace of mind?" he asked in a contemplative tone.

That seemed to make something snap inside Yami's mind.

"Shut up! Don't speak as if you know me! You don't know anything!" she shouted with her eyes closed and her head hanging low so that her bangs were hiding her face from view before giving him her back. "You can't understand..." she added in a lower tone.

Silence instilled itself as the words echoed in the empty corridors. As the last of them faded, she spoke up.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a shokugeki to prepare for."

Having said that, she started to walk away from him. As Sōma watched her disappear behind a corner, he sighed and turned to walk away as well.

Truthfully, he wasn't sure what he had come here for. Maybe he had hoped to dissuade her somehow but when he saw her eyes, he knew. He knew that she wouldn't give up on it, he knew that this was her battle to fight and that she wouldn't let anyone else do it in her place. It seemed that she was ready to face any kind of punishment if she failed, as long as she had the chance to confront the princess on a big stage.

Really, they were two of a kind. The heiress who would do anything to punish those who offended her and the girl who would do anything and face any danger to have a chance to get her revenge.

Sōma sighed in resignation.

It was clear, none of them would back up - not that he expected any of them to but...with that kind of sentence, he had kinda hoped that one would. Why? He wondered since he knew that Nakiri wouldn't let that go without inflicting a sanction upon her offender as this was part of her character. But still, he wished that she would be more reasonable when choosing one.

Sōma sighed once again as he passed a hand through his unruly hair in frustration.

Even if that was how it was, he had reacted like a jerk. The day before and especially today, he had been really cold with her - not that it was completely unjustified but still. Doing that had resulted in neglecting his role as her boyfriend for the entire day. After picking her up that morning (half because he had felt obligated to and half because he had wanted to see if she had had a change of heart during the night), he had hardly spoken to her for the whole day, except when necessary, let alone done anything lover-like at all. He knew that it wasn't good but he had seen red when he had heard about her plans. He'd have to make up for it later, especially if they had to pretend until next week as planned.

Though he had been completely honest. He really would prefer it if he could avoid being confronted to this part of her if possible but this was a part of her and he'd have to accept that, at least until the end of this thing.

However,he still had hope that the blonde would learn to care a little more about others even when punishing them. The shokugeki had yet to be held after all and the princess had seemed in a different set of mind this morning. He would know for sure where to stand after everything was said and done since Nakiri had told him that she would tell her what she had decided upon after the match so nothing was set in stone yet.

Anyway, he'd better get going. He guessed he should at least go see his 'girlfriend' before the match, even if he didn't really know what he would say to her.

Another sigh escaped his lips as his hand slid to his neck and started to rub it in discomfort.

 _Well, I'll see once I'm there. For now, I better hurry if I don't want to miss her._

* * *

The sound of a pen scribbling against paper followed by the sound of turning pages filled the room Nakiri Erina was currently waiting in. Since she had some time left before her shokugeki, she decided to continue working on the files that she had abandoned this morning after finishing to prepare what she would need for the match.

She was completely engrossed in her work when someone knocked on her door. Not bothering to look up from the file she was reading, Erina invited them to come in. Maybe Hisako had forgotten something when she had left earlier to go up to the VIP cabin as she had asked her to.

She heard the person come in and close the door behind them, and once again, the room was filled with the sounds of scribbling and rustling pages. After a while, Erina wondered why they weren't making any sound and finally glanced upwards for a second before looking back at her papers only to have her gaze shoot back up as what she had seen finally registered into her brain.

Standing there and staring right back at her was none other than her current 'boyfriend', Yukihira Sōma.

Her eyes widened as they confirmed the fact that he was indeed standing there and looking relatively more relaxed and open than he had been since that argument. Were her eyes playing tricks on her? Why would he be here looking as if nothing happened and as if he didn't care all that much anymore? What could he possibly want? Did he decide to call it quits in the end despite what he had said?

There was only one way to know.

"...Yukihira-kun?" Erina asked cautiously as if she was stepping on thin glass that could give away at any moment.

Sōma nodded in response and let out a small "Hey."

An awkward silence settled upon them as Erina gave him an inquiring 'Why are you here?' look. Clearly, she hadn't expected him to come and honestly, he hadn't really expected himself to after all that. It had just felt like the right thing to do...even if he had no idea what to say to her right now.

On this note, he decided to simply answer her unspoken question. "I just thought I'd come to see how you were doing before the shokugeki begins."

Erina let out a small "Oh." never breaking eye contact with him.

Another awkward silence fell down on them before Sōma broke it by clearing his throat.

"Well, you seem to be fine. I'm going to take my seat in the front row." he declared before turning towards the door and reaching out for the door knob.

He paused just before opening the door to murmur a small "Give it your best." then promptly proceeded to exit the room leaving a surprised Erina in his wake.

The heiress sure hadn't expected him to stop by, let alone cheer for her (if that could be considered like cheering) even if it lacked the usual enthusiasm. Now, she was sure that she could still do something to fix this.

At this thought, she felt her body getting lighter as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She could do this and she _would_ do it.

At that moment, her phone alarm went off signaling that the shokugeki would begin in five minutes. Erina had set it before starting to work in case she forgot about the time.

The blonde stored away her files as she stood up and made her way to the door. As she exited it, she instructed a employee she saw to bring the files to her secretary and continued on her way to the arena with confident steps.

As the light from the arena started to infiltrate the corridor, Erina stopped just before she was exposed and looked up to see the crowd of eagerly waiting students. Soon, she was called out and stepped up to the stage under the cheers of the crowd.

 _It's time to bring all of this to an end._

* * *

 _And cut! Hope you enjoyed :)_

 _Answers to guest reviews (I'm half asleep so it might be shorter than usual…) :_

 **Sorina:** Lol XD Glad you enjoyed and I wonder about that too … Oh joy. Thanks and you see? XD They can be nice ;) And no, the movie was made up ;) Thanks for your review :D

 **DankDoggo:** Surprise I guess XD Happy to know you enjoyed it x) Is that the kanji for ganbatte? If so yay! I'm not so bad XD And thanks :) Thank oyou for reviewing :D

 **Guest** (1) **:** It hasn't and since you said that I just had to check it out XD Nisekoi is awesome :D And it literally means false love so it's normal to have this vibe I guess. Though I have to say their circumstances are different lol ;) Thanks for reviewing x)

 **Guest** (2): Done XD

 **Archer:** They will in time ;) Thanks for your review :)

 **Hinate:** Lazy? ;p And sorry for the long wait :( Yeah, I don't like to see her unhappy but well. It was necessary… :/ Thanks and thank you for reviewing x)

 **Izra:** Sorry? Really? Super happy to know that :D I'll try XD Thanks for your review :D

 **Kaito 1412:** …can you please stop reading my mind XD No spoil for you lol XD Thanks fro reviewing ;)

 **kayx:** Here it is :) Hope you enjoyed x) Thanks fro your review

 **Guest** (3): You're 100% right XD …I think. Might be too sleepy to think straight anymore… XO Did that answer some of your questions? Thanks for reviewing :D

 **Nosilla:** Thank you x) Well, you'll know for sure soon enough ;) Thanks for you review :D

 **Atsuko:** Welcome to Misunderstanding! I really would like to give you a warmer welcome message but…I'm literally half dead here lol XD My fingers are on autopilot…lol. Well, I share your point of view for the most part. I'd like to say more but it'd be a spoil lol. Welcome again and thanks for reading and reviewing :D

 _Thanks to all the registerad reviewers too :D_ _ **raydark182, , Eramis8, Generation Zero, Jonny Walker, Exercariver, LucythePir8, ChaosOmega8, Keysone, HiragoSaito16, Midnight Marmelade, Erasels, Justinsj5, Skytte, evolvelove, wendytran111, Jp the Vile, chestnutchris, sandeezy, PetiteRveur, TheAdelaide9, Hypocrisy, ObscureLotus**_ _and_ _ **Shlugo**_

 _Now, if you'll excuse me, bed calls. It's super late now…or should I say early –'_

 _Ja ne guys ;)_


	17. Extinction of the purple fire

_Hello guys ^^_

 _It's been a while... anyway, here is the shokugeki :) Hope you'll enjoy._

 _Thanks for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing :D_

 _Special thanks to my beta Kishi ^^_

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own SnS.

* * *

 **Chapter 17: Extinction of the purple fire**

* * *

Smoke filled the arena as a single spotlight illuminated the entrance. All eyes followed the light as it slowly descended along with a shadowed figure. As the smoke slowly started to fade, it revealed a girl slowly stepping down on to the stage, one they all recognized. It was the same girl that had acted as the announcer for the Autumn Elections, the one who made all the boys swoon and got the girls' blood boiling in jealous irritation.

Theatrically walking out of the smoke, the black-haired girl slowly brought the mic to her mouth before breaking the solemnity of the moment by exclaiming "Minna-san!", effectively catching the attention of everyone present as she struck a pose and introduced herself, even if it was quite unnecessarily by now.

"I'm Kawashima Urara and I'll be your host this afternoon! This has been recognized as an official shokugeki by the shokugeki administration! We have three judges! The theme is seafood! There are no other restrictions so our entrants have an infinite amount of possibilities to choose from! Both contestants will soon enter the arena!" she exclaimed with her idol smile on.

Cheers resounded in the arena as she secretly reveled in them. They were all focused on her; this is how things should be. Too soon, it was time to introduce the first opponent.

"The first one to appear is unknown to most, a first year of the high school division, Katsuna Yami!"

Recognizing her cue to enter, Yami stepped out of the shadows and walked with confident and determined steps to the stage. This elicited cries of "Cute!" and "Adorable!" from the audience, causing a vein to pulse in Urara's temple.

Rapidly dismissing it, Urara continued with her presentation.

Turning towards the other contestants' entrance, she threw her free hand towards it and announced. "Our other contestant is none other than the one who's been recognized to have the finest palate in the world, better known as the God's tongue, Nakiri Erinaaa!"

At the announcement of her name, the blonde heiress stepped out from the shadows and elegantly made her way to the stage. The cheers that she triggered were at least three times louder than the ones Urara had elicited and were coming indiscriminately from boys and girls.

Two veins pulsed against Urara's temples in response as she immediately tried to bring the attention back on her and placed herself between the two girls.

"If Katsuna-san wins, the Chan RS will be given funds and a brand new club headquarters!"

This elicited a smug look on Yami's face and murmurs from the audience as some recalled the destruction of their previous club room by Tōtsuki's princess while others silently wondered if such a RS existed and what was this girl's connection to it.

Paying no heed to it, Urara continued. "She was also the one who requested the same people who judged the Chan RS vs Nakiri Erina shokugeki that occurred in April!" she announced as she turned towards the three impassive judges that were seating behind the clothed table.

"If Nakiri-san wins, Katsuna-san will have to do anything she asks her to! Unfortunately, she refused to disclose her choice of punishment so the rest will be up to your imagination." she declared with a large smile and a playful wink at the end of her sentence.

A confident expression overcame Erina's features at that statement as she looked right back into Yami's deep blue eyes. Never breaking eye contact, Yami spoke up.

"If only you knew how much I have dreamed of this day..." she said as the ocean that was her eyes seems to rage in anticipation.

"You dreamt of being defeated by me?" Erina asked in response with a feigned surprised look that earned her a small glare from Yami. "Then, allow me to make your dream come true." she declared with an arrogant smirk.

Taking back the spotlight, Urara brought the mic back to her lips and exclaimed.

"Now, contestants to the kitchen! This is a fight with your pride at stake!" As they both took place in front of their kitchen, she looked back at the crowd of waiting students, she shouted "Shokugekiiiii START!"

Wasting no time, Yami started to unpack her ingredients and swiftly aligned some spices and ingredients in front of her. There still seemed to be ingredients left but she didn't seem to need them at the moment. She would probably use it later.

She set to work immediately, rapidly chopping the onions, grating the peeled ginger, mincing the garlic cloves and grinding the black pepper. Once that was done, she made juice out of the limes she had previously taken out and used it to make a marinade in which she added some other ingredients, before letting it rest for a minute. Then, Yami plunged her hand into an icebox she had prepared beforehand.

"Oh, it seems Katsuna-san is finally taking out the main ingredient that she chose for her dish!" Urara commented just as Yami's hand emerged from the cool box. "Oooh! It seems like she has decided to go with salmon!" she exclaimed upon seeing the glistening fish in the hand of the confident girl.

Without further ado, Yami filleted it and placed the fish inside the bag as well to let it marinate in it before placing it all in the refrigerator. That done, she took out a pot and went back to her still packed ingredients.

"Now, what is Nakiri-san doing?" Urara said as she turned towards the heiress. "Oooh? Peaches?!" she exclaimed in surprise.

The blonde was currently expertly chopping unpeeled yellow peaches into small pieces. Then she did the same with the red bell pepper, arugula and oregano that was resting before her. That done, she sliced the green onions she had brought out thinly before mincing some other condiments. Then, after pressing six lemons, she placed a third of the juice she extracted into a bowl and added the previously cut ingredients before covering it all.

That done, Erina took out a large shallow glass baking dish and poured the rest of the lemon juice in it with some olive oil and spices before whisking it all with a whip. After placing the whip to the side, Erina took out an icebox as well and took out her main ingredient. An Arctic char.

"Ooooh! It seems like Nakiri-san is also going with fish! Further more it's an Arctic char, from the salmonids family just like salmon! This match just gained some intensity!" Urara enthusiastically exclaimed.

At those words, Yami who had just placed the lid over her pot turned towards her opponent with a slight frown on her figure.

"So you're also going with fish?" she asked suspiciously, "Furthermore it's from the same family as my choice." she continued, "I wonder how much of that is a coincidence." she finished as she sent a pointed look towards the heiress.

Erina didn't bother to look up nor to answer, instead focusing all of her attention on her task. Skillfully deboning the fish and preparing it, she then placed it in the marinade and placed a lid over the glass. Only then did she look up and faced the girl who had been staring at her all this time.

"I'm not sure what you're trying to insinuate but I'll have you know that I do not have that much free time unlike you, and only chose this fish because it best suited the dish I had in mind." Erina calmly replied, staring right back into Yami's eyes.

Yami snorted at her statement. "You may not have the time but you could have asked someone else to do it, like your secretary for example." she said as she sent her a knowing look. She knew that Arato had been the one to gather information on her for her mistress so she could have done it again.

"Indeed, I could have but I had absolutely no reason to since I do not fear you nor do I have any reason to try and beat you using such low methods." Erina replied as she crossed her hands under her large breasts to reinforce her statement as Yami's gaze turned less dubious. "Now that I've made that clear, I'm a little busy at the moment so, if you would." the blonde said before focusing back on her station.

Not leaving any room for further discussion, Erina then bent forward to retrieve a grill which she placed not too far from her before putting some olive oil on the grill rack.

Recognizing a dismissal when she heard one, Yami turned back to her own preparations and lifted the lid to see how its contents were doing before closing it once again. Taking out a large nonstick skillet, she heat it over medium high heat and took her marinade and fish out of the refrigerator before delicately pouring all of the content of the bowl into the pan.

On the other side, Erina had also taken out her fish from the marinade and sprinkled freshly grounded black pepper and salt on both sides of it before placing it atop the grill rack.

"Looks like our two contestants are both cooking their fish! Completion is close and so the judging will soon begin!"

Not too long after that, Erina and Yami were both dressing their dish and putting on the finishing touches.

"It's now time for the tasting of each dish! Let the judging begins!" Urara shouted as Yami brought her plates to the three judges.

Yami swiftly set down three plates of salmon fillets with its sauce and some risotto behind it, completing the dish and contrasting with the light orange color of the salmon. She had sprinkled some sesame seeds and green onions on each salmon fillet before bringing it to their table.

After serving them, Yami took a step back and calmly waited for the judging to begin.

They each took some salmon with their fork and brought it to their lips. Instantly, they were transported in a forest surrounding a river where salmons were lively going against the current. One of them, jumped out of the water and its skin glistened just before they were brought back to reality, all three of them had their eyes down on the dish.

"You used bourbon, didn't you?" the first man, the brown-haired one, asked as the three judges looked up at the purple-haired girl.

"Yeah." Yami confirmed with a smile, "I thought it created an interesting combination with salmon. I put some in the risotto as well."

The judges looked back down at their plate in curiosity before taking a bite of risotto. Their face instantly lit up in excitement as they swallowed.

"It's not the only thing you put in there right? There are mushrooms too!" the only woman of the group exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Not just any mushrooms, those are ceps!" the second man, the black-haired one, exclaimed excitedly. "But you can't even see them..." he noticed.

"That's right." Yami nodded, "I used dehydrated ceps. I dipped them in slightly salted water and extracted all their flavor before using this broth to cook the rice." she explained before adding "I call this dish 'Bourbon-glazed Salmon with Ceps Risotto'."

The judges looked back down at their plate and enthusiastically continued to eat the dish.

Soon, it was time for Erina to bring her dish forward. As she set it down in front of each judge, their eyes avidly took it all in.

Erina had placed a generous fillet of grilled char atop the salsa before sprinkling some more salsa on top of it. The visual impact of her dish was enormous with the great contrast of colors that was created by the brown-orange of the fillet of char resting amidst the unpeeled peaches and other vivid condiments. It was arranged in a 'X' and the aroma that was penetrating their nostrils was enough to make them drool a little.

As soon as the blonde backed up a little, they all took their forks and took a bite of this exquisite dish.

 _A cold breeze was blowing through their hair as they felt the swaying of a boat riding on the waves. A big one hit the boat, making them fall into the cold water. As they opened their eyes to try to orient themselves towards the surface, all they could see was a multitude of Arctic chars, swimming through the water unfazed by the waves raging on the surface. Sun rays fell on them, making their skin shine with orange and red highlights. Feeling the air slipping away from them, they swam towards the sun light and emerged, eyes fleeting from right to left in search of the boat. Just when they were about to give up, an outstretched arm entered their field of vision. Grabbing the hand offered to them, they looked up to their savior and were greeted by the smiling face of a peach sailor._

 _"Peach!"_ was the last word they heard before they were pulled back to reality.

When they focused back on their surroundings, they were already more than half done eating their dish. Their forks just wouldn't stop moving as they ate and occasionally took a small pause to savor their food.

The black-haired man was the first one to speak up this time. "This char is just so tender and holds so much flavor!" he exclaimed excitedly before resuming eating.

"I just can't get enough of this sweet-spicy flavor!" the woman exclaimed in between bites.

"The association of the peach salsa and the char creates a whole new level of flavor!" the brown-haired man added enthusiastically and continued to savor it.

Erina just watched them eat in satisfaction before slightly turning towards Yami to send her a confident smirk to which the blue-eyes girl responded by clenching her teeth.

A few minutes later, Urara's voice boomed through the arena. "Judges! Please cast your vote!"

For the following seconds, the only sounds you could hear were the sounds of hands slamming on plastic and then cheers erupting from all over the arena.

But Yami could hear none of them.

With her blue eyes fixed on the screen, time had just seemed to stop for her as she stood still, oblivious to her surroundings. It was over. It was finally over. Her revenge quest, her long nights wondering if she could have done something to help her friend, her overwhelming thirst of justice, it was finally over.

Yami suddenly felt a lot lighter than before, as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. All this time, she had been depressed over the fact that she hadn't even been there when her friend had needed her. She hadn't even been able to cheer him on, too absorbed in some homework she had been doing. The next day she had gone to the RS room only to find it gone. Nothing was left and men seemed to be constructing another building where the Chan RS had previously been proudly standing. Not comprehending what was happening, she searched for members who told her everything that occurred the previous day. The challenge. The match. Their leader's loss.

Unable to believe it, she had stepped back in shock and ran towards her friend's room. As she could finally see him, she had opened her mouth to call out to him but the words never exited her mouth. He had been crying. She had been able to hear the light sobs and see the light shaking of his shoulders as he quietly cried on his bed. Unable to endure the sight, she had taken a step back, then two, and three, until she had been literally fleeing the scene.

When she had focused back in her surroundings, she was already in the middle of the forest. That's when she had stopped running and slumped down on the ground to cry. In the middle of her crying, she had suddenly looked up with a determined look. She would get revenge for her friend. Or she would die trying.

However, as time passed her desire for revenge only grew stronger and more and more uncontrollable. And a part of her who had stayed sensible had grown scared of it but she had been unable to stop. She had been in too deep already.

But now, it was over. She had done everything she wanted to do and as soon as the result had been announced, her desire had faded, finally freeing her from the chains that she had created for herself.

Closing her eyes, Yami let out a breath and smiled. Then opening them, she turned towards the heiress and said "Thank you." as a single tear fell from her smiling face, before walking away from her.

Purple eyes followed her retreating figure before flying back to the screen.

The name 'Nakiri Erina' stood proudly, written in front of dancing flames. All of the three judges had voted for her dish, it had been an unanimous decision. So what was this feeling of loss?

Upon hearing her name being announced as the winner of this shokugeki she had turned towards her opponent to smirk at her and speak with her but had found herself unable to do so since Katsuna Yami had seemed completely lost in her thoughts.

Then, upon coming back to reality, the blue-eyed girl had turned towards her with the sincerest smile she had ever seen and thanked her before taking her leave. That's why in her bewilderment, she had felt the need to check the screen again.

Erina let her eyes fall back to the exit that she had taken as she silently wondered just what was going in this girl's head.

* * *

 _ **Wednesday evening, Nakiri mansion**_

"Hum...why are you here again?"

Erina's inquisitive voice broke the stillness of the office another file joined the stack at the corner of the desk.

Red eyes owlishly blinked at her from the couch were their owner was lying. "Hmm? I'm here to congratulate you of course!" Alice's bubbly voice answered back in a 'Isn't that obvious?' tone as she grinned at her blonde cousin.

Erina sweat dropped in response to her cousin's statement. "I'm pretty sure you've done that already..." she muttered.

Alice pouted at that. "But I only said congratulations to you..."

Raising a defined eyebrow at her, Erina asked "...what more is there to it?" in a half cautious half dreadful tone.

A frown deformed Alice's traits. "What are you saying?" she began in a reprimanding voice, "We have to throw a party for that!" she exclaimed as she sat up.

Silence passed between them as Alice's words slowly sank in.

"...a party." Erina slowly repeated with a flat voice, perfectly conveying how pointless it seemed to her with those two words.

"Yeah!" Alice replied enthusiastically, completely ignoring her cousin's obvious disapproval, "Don't worry, there won't be too much people. Just you, me, our aides, and your boyfriend." she added in a tone that ought to be reassuring.

It was all but for her cousin. Erina let out a breath as she closed her eyes and placed a hand over her face as she prayed for patience. Then, without really knowing why, she looked up at the clock. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise at the time she read.

"It's already that time..." she muttered to herself before clearing her throat and speaking up. "I don't have time for that Alice. Besides, Katsuna-san will be here shortly." she said with a pointed look to her cousin that clearly conveyed 'So please leave.'.

Red clashed against purple for a few moments before Alice reluctantly accepted to comply with her wishes.

"Fine! I'm leaving." she said, standing up from the couch. "You're such a killjoy, Erina." she complained before exiting the room.

As the door clicked closed behind the white-haired teen, the blonde sighed. Talking with Alice was tiring. Most of the time. Not that she didn't love her but well...

Before she could ponder more over this, a knock resounded in the room.

 _It's probably Katsuna-san._ Erina thought as she invited her to come in.

A second later, violet hair entered her vision and she could confirm that fact. Patiently, she waited for her to come in and take a seat so when she didn't, Erina raised an eyebrow at her.

"You may sit down, you know." the blonde calmly informed the girl.

"Thank you but I'd prefer to keep standing, if you don't mind." Yami politely replied.

Erina nodded at that and let the matter go. It wasn't that important anyway and if that was what she wanted then she wouldn't force her to do otherwise. But something seemed different about her...

Purple eyes slowly slid down her figure before flying upwards and resting on Yami's face. It was her expression. There was something different there ever since their match ended. She seemed...calmer, more composed, more...serene. Before she had seemed a little insane and unbalanced but ever since she lost, she had changed.

But this was neither the time nor the place to do a full analysis of the girl. She had a purpose for making her come here after all.

"I'm assuming that you know why you were called here, right?" Erina asked as she brought both her hands under her chin and let it rest on them.

Yami let the words' echo fade away before responding. "I do have a little idea of the reason behind my being called in your office, yes." she stated.

Erina let out a small satisfied smile before speaking up once again. "Excellent. Then, I won't let you hang in suspense much longer." she announced and Yami took a deep breath as she closed her eyes in mental preparation, only opening them again when Nakiri Erina's voice reached her ears.

"You know, I had lots of trouble coming up with a satisfactory punishment for you." Nakiri Erina said calmly, as if talking about the weather, "You dishonored me with those pictures after all, and this, I couldn't forgive." the heiress continued as her voice gained a sharp edge. "But after much thought, I finally decided on something."

Yami braced herself for what was to come -

"You will be a photographer for a nature magazine for their special edition about learning the ways of life of the ant."

\- but nothing could have prepared her for that. The more her words slowly sank in, the colder her blood was turning until she was sure that she had no more warmth in her body. Her face must have turned pretty pale by now, if she had to guess its color, blue would be a good pick.

Not that she had the time to ponder over that. Ever since she had heard that word, her brain had been conjuring images of her taking pictures of ants, having an ant on her finger, observing ants all day long, having them in her viewfinder all day long, having to closely follow them all day long, choosing the best pictures amongst the numerous ants ones and that during the entirety of the time that would be necessary for them to complete this special. And doing so could easily take a month.

By the end of her pretty fertile and quite unnecessary imagination, she didn't even have enough strength to separate her teeth and speak - not that she could have talked either way.

So, she'd have to photograph them all day long? Their little body, their little mandibles that sank into the skin, their antennas, their flexible legs that climbed over the body, their little black eyes mercilessly looking at their target...the more she thought about them, the bigger her imaginary ant grew and soon, she found herself unable to move a single inch except for the now constant trembling of her body.

Suddenly, the room seemed too hazy for her to see anything clearly and way hotter than the moment she had stepped in. She was beginning to feel dizzy as well but she tried to focus on her surroundings and to take deep breaths, they turned out more shallow than anything. She stayed in that state for a while and just after she began to feel her consciousness slip away, she heard someone's voice.

"...na-san...tsuna-san...Katsuna-san. Katsuna-san!"

Erina placed a hand on the girl's shoulder and tried to shake her out of her panicky state. She had continued to talk for a while before she realized that the girl was no longer listening - or rather, her voice didn't seem to reach her anymore. Looking closer at the girl, she looked considerably paler each passing second and she could see her body shiver constantly. Her eyes seemed completely unfocused and then she had started to sweat profusely.

That's when she understood just how much phobias could affect people and why Yukihira-kun had reacted the way he did. When she had found out about it, she had just thought that making use of this would really make her regret her actions, nothing more, nothing less. She had been aware that a phobia wasn't something to take lightly but she hadn't really cared at all about its effects before.

After a few minutes of calling her name and seeing no reaction, Erina had stood up and approached the girl to try to shake her out of it. After a few seconds of shaking, she could finally see her blue eyes slowly coming into focus and she let out a small breath. She didn't know what she would have done if the girl had collapsed on her - actually, she did. She probably would have called a doctor or an employee to take her to a doctor or something.

However, she didn't know how she would have explained it to her 'boyfriend'...seeing as things had gone the day before, it probably would have ended in another argument. And they had yet to actually make up.

But this wasn't the time to worry about 'if's. For now, she had to take care of the problem at hand, aka Katsuna Yami aka stalker-san.

As Erina focused back on the violet-haired girl, she noticed that the girl was now fixated on her and blinking, slowly coming out of her panic attack.

"Katsuna-san." Erina called to see if she could indeed hear her. At Yami's nod, she continued. "Please, take a seat." she asked once again, designating the nearby couch with her hand.

This time, Yami nodded and carefully made her way to the aforementioned couch before sitting down on it.

Meanwhile, Erina walked back to her desk and phoned Hisako to ask her to bring something for the girl, after a brief explanation of what happened.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Yami seemed to have completely calmed down and Erina judged it safe to pursue their earlier conversation. She cleared her throat to get her attention and when Yami's blue eyes rested on her, giving her their undivided attention, she spoke.

"I believe I may have not expressed myself very clearly before." Erina began in an almost apologetic voice, "This is not the punishment I settled upon but the first one I had thought of." she explained and Yami's relief was almost palpable, her traits relaxed and her whole body language conveyed her heartfelt gratitude.

Mentally acknowledging it, Erina proceeded to expose her final choice of punishment.

"You will be my personal informant. You are clearly quite skilled at obtaining information and that's why I decided on that. Every time I want intel on someone, you will provide me with their complete background and gather whatever other information about them that you can in a file that you will give to my secretary, Hisako. Your contact will be her and she will be the one who will call you to give you your missions and once it's done, you will have to report directly to her. I trust her with this task." _And it will take a load off of her shoulders..._ Erina mentally added.

She hadn't commented on it but she had noticed that Hisako had been particularly tired after compiling Yami's file for her. Hisako was always doing so much for her and it would be great if she could be relieved of time intensive tasks such as this.

Yami nodded twice to express her agreement - not that it mattered all that much since she _had_ agreed to do whatever Erina would ask of her but well. _**Anything**_ was a thousand times better than the previous punishment.

A small satisfied smile stretched Erina's lips as she nodded before continuing. "But first, you will have to explain that the scenes depicted in the pictures you spread never actually happened this way and you will publicly apologize to me for doing that."

Yami's brain processed the words before she nodded, somewhat shamefully. After regaining her senses, she had acknowledged the fact that she had gone too far, even if her desire of revenge was somewhat justified. So apologizing was really the least she could do.

"Hai." Yami finally said, voicing her agreement.

* * *

Noises of a pen scribbling against paper filled the office once again. Yami had just left and so she had resumed her paperwork.

She wasn't done yet with her first paper when someone knocked against the door. _Did she forget something?_ Erina vaguely wondered as she invited them to come in without bothering to stop working.

The door clicked shut behind them and silence fell back upon the room.

Feeling a weird sense of déjà vu, Erina looked up to her visitor and promptly proceeded to freeze. Her purple eyes slowly swept over them, confirming their identity, before making their way back up and falling into twin pools of molted gold.

At this point, only one thought crossed Erina's mind.

 _Why?_

* * *

 _The end :D_

 _About the punishment, Yami has myrmecophobia (phobia of ants). I hinted that if it was someone else, this punishment wouldn't be that cruel, it's because of that. Like, if you locked a claustrophobic in a dark closed room or put someone who suffers from fear of heights at the top of a really high building, I think it'd be pretty cruel. Does anyone share my point of view? But, in itself, it really was nothing much I guess._

 _Answer to guest reviews:_

 **DankDoggo:** Happy I made you smile x) I appreciate it though I have to admit that most of the time it's either lack of time or inspiration. True, true. Well, was it? XD Thanks x) And I'm gonna blame it on my sleepy state. XD Thanks for reviewing :D

 **Guest:** Happy you enjoyed it ^^ ...well, it came a little later than you wanted but hope you liked it anyway x) Thanks for your review :)

 **Sorina:** x) That so? Hmm…were you right? XD Feel free to tell me ;) Well, I really enjoyed writing this chapter so I'm happy to know you liked it ^^ Writing that kind of emotions for them was a first (or not but I can't remember doing it before so ^^') Hope the wait was worth it. Thanks for reviewing :D

 **Atsuko:** My pleasure x) Well, I couldn(t really imagine him treating her any other way XD After all, he is equally stubborn ;) …or not. Or is ti that Erina is way more prideful? Hmm. Well, half of that didn't happen. Thanks to you for sharing your thoughts ^^ #start of new waiting time XD

 **Irza:** Glad you liked it x) Yup, yup! :D Hmm…might not happen anytime soon but well XD Jealousy, there will probably be more, love, certianly ;) …at some point ;D Thanks for reviewing ^^

 **Asdfghjkl:** Thanks. Here XD x)

 **Fit:** Thanks. Hum, about chapter 2? Like when he arrived in the room? If so, then he was more flattered to than anything and… I'm not sure that answers your question ^^' I tried XD

 **Zic:** (chap 3) I know XD But I loved writing every bit of it x)

 _Thanks to the registered reviewers as well **Genereation Zero** , **Mr Mrs MDF** , **ChaosOmega8** , **xMlgBlaze** , **PantherSeraphin** -sama, **Justinsj5** , **Shlugo** , **raydark182** , **HiragaSaito16** , **Skytte** , **GraphiicChaos** , **Hinate** , **Wacko12** , **ClippedNinja** , **Eramis8** , **Exxcaliburr** , **SsinofPride** , **Hypocrisy** , **chestnutchris** , **ObscureLotus** , **Kishoto** , **Dlkg** and **Mariafe727** :D_

 _Ja ne x)_


	18. Flickering blue flame revealed

_Hello guys :)_

 _Sorry for taking such a long time. Had some trouble with this chap and things were kinda hectic…not a good mix. Anyway, here it is!_

 _Thanks for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing :D_

 _Thanks to my beta_ _ **Kishoto**_ _x)_

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own SnS.

* * *

 **Chapter 18 : Flickering blue flame revealed**

* * *

Aureate eyes stared into amethyst ones in silence as their owner thought about the answer he would provide for the unspoken but rather obvious question held in those disbelieving eyes he was staring in.

Truthfully, he didn't really know how he had ended up there himself...

 _ ***Flashback***_

 _Cheers were resounding all over the arena as the judges finished casting their votes and Urara loudly announced the overwhelming victory of Tōtsuki's princess, Nakiri Erina. It wasn't a surprising result, really, but Sōma couldn't bring himself to be completely happy about it. He kind of was because he hadn't really wanted her to lose but he also wasn't because he was dreading the punishment she would give to the poor girl who had been foolish enough to accept it whatever it would be before even knowing its nature. Really, who does that?_

 _That's what he had thought when he had learned about it before seeing red when she had unveiled her decision to him._

 _He was still pondering over it, completely ignoring the pushes and teasing of his dorm mates when he caught sight of Yami's face._

 _She was smiling, like sincerely smiling. She seemed way more serene than when he had talked to her earlier. At the time, she had been deeply agitated, borderline deranged._

 _Dread settled at the pit of his stomach as he wondered just how fast her mood would change when learning of that punishment. Honestly, he hadn't expected Erina to go this far, like learning of someone's phobia and using it against them like that? He almost wished Arato wasn't that good of a secretary..._

 _Now the only thing that could save the girl was Erina's mercy and taking into consideration the look she had given him when he was trying to reason her, he doubted she had any for the girl._

 _Unable to watch the scene any further, the redhead turned his head away from the scene and towards his dorm mates who he met with a large grin._

 _..._

 _Sōma was steadily making his way to the exit surrounded by his dorm mates with whom he was chatting while trying to appear as casual and nonchalant as usual when he noticed someone waving enthusiastically his way, a little away from the flock of leaving students._

 _"Yukihira-kun!" Alice called out once he was in hearing distance._

 _Sōma looked at her and nodded before excusing himself from his dorm mates and making his way to the white-haired girl._

 _"Hey Nakiri, Kurokiba." Sōma answered calmly before stopping next to her and Kurokiba who was leaning against the nearby wall while waiting for his lady. "What's up?"_

 _"We're going to have a celebratory party for Erina tonight!" Alice exclaimed with a big grin._

 _Sōma blinked. Once, then twice. Before a single word escaped his lips, fully managing to express his stupefaction._

 _"Ah?"_

 _"Yes!" Alice confirmed, completely ignoring his obvious bewilderment. "Of course, you're invited to come." she added with a 'You're her boyfriend after all.' look that left no room for discussion over that matter._

 _Sōma continued to stare at her before flatly repeating "Of course." in a low murmur._

 _"Good." Alice said in satisfaction, "I'll call you for the details later today." she added. Sōma didn't know how she had found his number but she had and quite frankly, he wasn't so sure he even wanted to know how. "Now, we'll be on our way. See you later!" she concluded before turning around and making her way to the exit soon followed by Ryō who sent a parting nod his way._

 _ ***End of flashback***_

And then, Alice had indeed called him, telling him to come but when he had arrived, Erina had been with the stalker and he had ended up discussing about dishes with Kurokiba in the office in front of Erina's while Alice had been...somewhere. Apparently, she was curious about what Erina had planned to do and she hadn't really taken well the fact that Erina hadn't let her stay - even if she hadn't explicitly asked.

Then, Sōma had heard hurried footsteps coming towards them and had opened the door only to see Hisako's back disappearing into Erina's office. Shrugging, he had immediately gone back to the couch to resume his discussion but Kurokiba had already changed occupation and so Sōma found himself looking left and right in boredom.

He was about to go and take a brief walk around the manor, hoping that he wouldn't get lost, when he heard Erina's office's door open once again and footsteps echoed in the hallway before fading away (probably Hisako leaving after doing what she had to do).

Then, he had heard Erina's voice and had immediately supposed that the door wasn't closed well. Standing up once again, he had intended to close the door leading to the hallway when something had stopped him.

It was Erina's voice announcing her final punishment choice.

Upon hearing the sentence, something inside him disappeared and Sōma instantly felt much lighter. A smile unknowingly made its way to his lips as the part of him that was still hoping for a change in the blonde cried out in joy and reprimanded his cold side for not believing in her.

But that smile disappeared seconds after appearing and was replaced by a frown.

Even if that was the case, it didn't erase their argument and the words that he had said when faced with her cruelty hadn't disappeared. Those were his true feelings but he still had been incredibly cold to her ever since then.

 _What am I supposed to do now?_

And that's with that question in mind that he had ended up in front of his 'girlfriend', unprepared to face her (no thanks to Alice who had practically pushed him in after reappearing) and completely at a loss of words.

 _Great..._ Sōma thought as his right hand came to rub the nape of his neck, his eyes flying to the floor.

 _Hmm?_

He had never noticed before but there were golden roses on the red carpet...it definitely was a pretty carpet.

But it wasn't the time to admire a carpet. Focusing back onto the matter at hand, Sōma looked up, straight into Erina's eyes and spoke.

"Can we talk?"

Slightly taken aback by that question, Erina blinked twice before saying "Sure."

Sōma closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath. When he reopened them, they had a determined expression in them.

"I want to apologize for being so cold to you recently. I didn't approve of your choice of punishment, and to be perfectly honest, I was extremely disappointed in you because of that. Taking advantage of someone's phobia is no joke and I just - I saw red." Sōma paused to catch his breath before continuing, "But still, I neglected my role as your boyfriend despite our agreement and I'm sorry for that. That and I said pretty harsh stuff to you...sorry."

Erina's eyes widened a little as she stared at him. She certainly didn't expect him to apologize considering the fact that he hadn't really been in the wrong regarding the harshness of her punishment if Yami's reaction to her mere saying it was any indication...the girl had completely gone into panic and had become so pale that she had been surprised she hadn't gone into hypothermia. She actually had trouble imagining what would have happened if she had gone through with her first decision.

Erina was about to shake the thought out of her mind when it striked her.

Even if he had apologized for his coldness, he hadn't said a word about taking back his words. Did that mean he meant it? He meant every word he had said? He had really meant _that ?_

Firm golden eyes were met with fragile amethyst ones.

At that moment, Sōma wanted nothing more than to take that look away from her face but right now, he had absolutely no right to. Sōma's teeth clenched and gritted against one another in frustration. After all, he was the one who had caused it.

He could take it back, he could deny his earlier words but he would be lying to her and lying to himself since he had meant every word he had said. While he regretted the cold attitude that had led them to this, he just couldn't take those words back.

Unable to hold her gaze any longer, Sōma averted his eyes from Erina's hurt form.

Tensed silence instilled itself as the air grew heavy.

None of the two of them said another word as Erina continued to stare at Sōma in hurt silence. Then...he didn't like her, did he?

A sharp pain struck her at that thought.

 _"See? Nobody but me can accept you."_

 _Erina whipped around in hurry as she recognized her father's voice coming from behind her but to her great surprise she was met by darkness._

 _"There's no way he could have accepted you anyway."_

 _"You're wrong!" Erina exclaimed as she immediately turned to her left where his voice seemed to be coming from now._

 _"Am I? He doesn't even want to look at you."_

 _"That's...not true..." Erina murmured as she closed her eyes and clasped her hands over her ears._

 _"You know it's true. He'll never come to care about you. No one will ever do."_

 _"You're...you're wrong..." Erina mumbled as she fell to her knees, keeping her hands over her ears to try and block her father's words._

 _But it was useless. She could hear everything clearly and his voice never ceased to say the words she didn't want to hear as she kept on muttering that he was wrong, with less and less conviction, each time. Every word he said seemed to pierce her like a knife and her pain increased with each and every one of them._

Erina was on the verge of giving in to the pain when she heard a voice. _His_ voice.

"Erina! Oi! Erina! What's wrong?! Erina!"

Sōma's voice was filled with worry and concern as he took the heiress into his arms, not caring about their previous discussions. The most important thing was Erina's safety and well-being.

As he held her shoulders, shaking them from time to time, all he could think about was how frail she looked. He tended to forget about it but even if she was strong, she was still a normal girl. She had feelings and he had hurt them. But he hadn't wanted to see her in pain.

However, none of that mattered right now, what did matter was the situation at hand. He had to do something to help her.

Looking left and right, Sōma frantically searched for something that could help him, anything, but all he could see was a carafe filled with water and two glasses. Sōma silently cursed under his breath. He couldn't give water to her when she was in that state and calling someone would require leaving her by herself and who knew when they'd arrive?

Looking down at the blonde, he could only see her teary eyes struggling to focus on him. She needed to come back to reality.

Closing his eyes, he wondered what was the best course of action. The ragged breathing of the girl beneath him was all he could hear as it resounded in this grand office. When he reopened his eyes, he had taken his decision.

Reinstalling her in her seat, he took his handkerchief and damped it with water from the pitcher before coming back to her and laying it on the right side of her face before lifting it and wetting the other side, then the forehead only to repeat the operation.

He did it a few times before he could see her eyes slowly focusing on him.

"Erina?" he asked cautiously.

The blonde blinked up to him in response as she continued to stare at him in silence. That made the lad sigh in relief before he buried her inside his arms. Erina's eyes widened in surprise and shock as she let herself be trapped in his arms.

"Don't make me worry like that..." Sōma murmured as he gave her a squeeze.

That's when she noticed that it was no longer hurting. All she could feel now was the warmth being emitted from his arms around her. His hold on her was tight enough for her not to be able to slip away from it but it was gentle enough not to hurt her in the process.

Her arms raised seemingly on their own and were about to return his embrace but as soon as they touched him, he flinched and loosened his hold onto her. It was as if he had only now realized just what he had been doing. His eyes had widened ever so slightly and held a startled gleam in them.

"Ah..." was the single word that escaped Sōma's parted lips after some minutes of stunned silence. What was he supposed to say after that? He shouldn't even have allowed himself to do that, especially after the recent events but he clearly hadn't been thinking when he had acted but then again, he rarely did when he was with her...

Meanwhile, Erina was left staring at the redhead's conflicted face in confusion. Just a few minutes before, he hadn't even wanted to look at her and now, he was holding her in his arms. But he had said that he didn't like her right? Maybe it was a misunderstanding on her part...maybe he liked her?

Erina's lips parted, fully intent on getting an answer to her interrogations when she heard someone clearing their throat. Whipping her head towards the sound, her eyes fell into the familiar brown ones of her secretary and friend.

Silence fell upon them and as the position they were in slowly sank in with her still uneven breath and his mildly embarrassed face, Erina flushed as she quickly backed away from the boy hovering over her. She hadn't even heard the door opening and given the deer-in-highlights look that the boy had on his face, he hadn't either.

When Erina judged that she had recovered enough composure, she finally dared to speak.

"What is it Hisako?"

The girl gave them a cautious once-over before clearing her throat once again and speaking.

"Well, I heard shouting so I came to see if something had happened..." Hisako started, "But it looks like everything is fine..." she let her sentence trail as she sent a pointed look aimed at both of them.

Erina did her best to contain the blush that wanted to come up while Sōma evaded Arato's gaze in favor of staring down at his clothed wrist.

"It seems like I'm not needed. I'm happy to see you getting along so well." Hisako said with a knowing smile,"Call me if you need something." she added before turning on her heels and exiting the room, shutting the door behind her.

Erina could only stare at the closed door as she felt her face getting relatively hotter at being caught in that position with the redhead. But well, she couldn't change the past and she had better things to do, like asking him what she really wanted to know.

To her surprise, when she turned towards the silent boy, Erina's eyes fell into twins pools of molted gold in which she could have gotten lost (the two seconds she had spent spacing out while wondering just how deep they could be didn't count) if she hadn't known exactly what she wanted from him.

"Hum, Yukihira-kun?" she asked after clearing her throat to get his attention.

Smoothing his features and making the frown that was slowly forming disappear at the same time, Sōma blinked several times as he slowly focused back on the heiress. He had been thinking about what he would say to her in order to explain his actions when he had stepped onto a land mine. He wasn't even able to explain them to himself...why did he even embrace her? All he knew was that he had felt an enormous wave of relief wash over him and his body had simply moved on its own.

Sōma stared at the girl so intensely that it looked like he thought he could pierce the secret behind his surprising behavior if he looked hard enough.

Feeling her face getting hotter under his deep gaze, Erina coughed twice, effectively making him come out of it. Blinking once again, Sōma concentrated on the blonde seating in front of him.

"Yeah? What is it Erina?" he asked nonchalantly as if he hadn't just been staring at her.

Erina frowned up at him at the casual use of her first name.

"I told you not to call me that." she reminded him but it lacked her usual spite.

"...right." he simply said as he looked at her with a blank look on his face that seemed to say 'I don't get why it bothers you that much when we're pretending to be lovers...' but she ignored it, preferring to ask about what she really wanted to know for now.

"We'll go over that another time. Right now, we have better things to talk about." she declared confidently before closing her eyes. _It's now or never._

Opening them once again, she took a breath and her lips parted to let the crucial words exit her mouth but she found them unexpectedly hard to say.

"I..." was the only word that left her tongue at first. Closing her mouth, she thought about it for a second and tried once again. "Do you..." Erina started, her gaze falling on the window next to his head, "Do you hate me?" she managed to get out, her voice reaching an octave higher at the end of her sentence as her eyes flew back to the lad standing in front of her.

Sōma could only stare at her as his brain started to process her words. _Hate...?_

Silence fell onto them with Sōma staring at her as if he couldn't comprehend what she had just said and Erina steadily growing more nervous with each passing second.

When Sōma finally came out of his stupor, his brain had officially abandoned him to his own devices ( _Traitor..._ ) and thus, his capacity of speech was considerably reduced.

So it really was no wonder that the only thing that left his tongue after that extended silence was "...huh?"

Erina who had been anxiously (she'd deny it to the grave) waiting for his answer could feel all the built up tension drop and she suddenly had the great desire to face palm or shout at him in exasperation but she kept it in and calmed herself enough to be able to speak without exploding.

"...please, just answer the question." she replied, completely exasperated.

"Okay, hum...what?" Sōma tried but he was at a complete loss of words. Extending a hand in front of him and putting the other over both his temples, "Wait, wait, wait. Just a second."

Unable to think about something immediately, he made his way to the couch and let himself fall on it as he thought about the situation.

Just when he was wondering just how she had come up with that conclusion, Alice's words from Thursday night came back to his mind.

* * *

 _Alice glanced at Erina and nodded to herself once she was assured that her cousin was positively lost in her thoughts and not listening to them. When she looked back at Yukihira-kun, her gaze had grown protective and caring._

 _"You know, it may not seem that way but Erina really has no clue about human relationships."_

 _Alice started and Sōma couldn't help but think about the princess's behavior and conclude that it did seem that way actually before deciding not to interrupt the white-haired girl._

 _"Ever since she was a child, no one really ever tried to get to know her since for them she was only a Nakiri with a godly palate. And when I went away to Denmark, it only got worse since she was totally isolated by her father and received a special training that only further widened the gap between her and the others." she recounted as her eyes grew softer and at that moment, Sōma could see just how much she cared about her cousin._

 _"So try to keep that in mind when you're interacting with her, okay?" Alice asked, looking up at Yukihira-kun who nodded before voicing his agreement._

 _Content with his agreement, Alice then changed the subject to something more joyous and more food-related._

* * *

Sōma's face turned into a guilty grimace as he realized that he hadn't respected his own words at all and had even almost forgotten about that discussion. He should have demonstrated more patience and understanding with her, right? Even if that and his opposition to her unnecessary cruelty were two different matters.

Sighing, Sōma let his eyes come to a close as he organized his thoughts. A few minutes later, he reopened them and looked back at the heiress who was confusedly looking at him in silence.

Slowly opening his mouth, he started with his explanation.

"I think that we have a little misunderstanding here, and it might be my fault. Yes, as I previously said, I do not like it when you decide to be unnecessarily cruel towards people without even thinking about how they'll react to it." he started before taking a pause to catch his breath.

This time, he didn't miss the way Erina's face started to fall and he promptly continued. "But that doesn't mean that I don't like you at all. I do like you. Even if there are some parts in you that I dislike."

After her initial relief, the blonde was now completely and utterly confused. How could he like her and dislike her at the same time? That didn't make sense...

Sōma didn't miss her confusion and decided to go about this another way.

"You know, when getting to know someone, you'll find out about numerous parts of their character and personality. You can like some while you can dislike others. That's completely normal and I'm sure you don't like every part of my personality." he explained and tried to drive his point home. "But that doesn't mean that you hate me, right?" he asked and Erina found herself unable to deny his statement and she was left to wonder when she had changed dispositions towards the guy.

Not waiting for an answer, Sōma continued. "We just have to learn how to accept the other for what they are." he concluded as he looked directly into her eyes, "It can be a more or less long process but that's how it works generally." Sōma finished with a small smile.

A comfortable silence fell on them as Erina let his words sink in. Then, that meant that he didn't hate her, right? That he actually cared about her?

Apparently, she had voiced her thoughts because Sōma answered with a soft smile. "Yes, I don't hate you. And I do care about you."

His eyes softened as well when Erina's face broke into a sincerely relieved expression for a few seconds before it turned into a frown.

"Wait, that doesn't explain why you're here in the first place." she declared as she looked at him in suspicion and Sōma evaded her gaze, "How did you enter?"

Rubbing the back of his neck with his right hand, he tried to come up with a satisfactory explanation. "Well, you know, the guards know me by now so they just let me in...?"

Erina's frown only deepened in response and he knew that it wasn't a good explanation. He should have just told her the truth since he had nothing to hide.

"That may be true but unless they're told to let you come in when Alice or I come back, they -"

Erina stopped mid-sentence as her brain linked the dots.

"...it was Alice, wasn't it?" she asked, only confirming a fact she knew to be true when he grinned sheepishly at her.

 _This girl..._ Erina thought with a groan. _She knew that I wouldn't accept it but she had already invited him anyway..._

Suddenly, she could feel an headache start to form and she brought both her hands to her temple and started to massage them hoping that it would make it go away. Worse is that she could totally imagine her cousin throwing her that annoying grin that infuriated her so quickly...she swore, she'd be the end of her.

Sōma coughed twice and tried to change the subject. "Anyway, I'm glad that you changed that punishment in the end. It would have been way too much to handle for that girl." he said with a small grin which disappeared the second he saw Erina freeze. _Kuso..._ he mentally cursed before standing up to leave. He had decided that she didn't need to know that he had overheard her since they'd probably get around to talk about that at some point...but it seems like his mouth had other plans...

"Well, I think I should leave -"

"Wait." Erina cut him off in a voice that demanded obedience and Sōma froze in his step. "How much did you hear? Since when have you been eavesdropping on me?" the blonde asked in a low voice as she gave him a look that left him dubious about his next course of action since it was completely emotionless.

If he could have seen beyond her mask, he would have seen her paling since the last thing she had wanted him to see was Katsuna-san during her crisis caused by her words...

Oh well, if he couldn't avoid it, then he'd face it head on like the man he was. He sat back down and let his left arm and right elbow rest on his thighs and sighed before he started with his explanation.

* * *

In a dim lighted room, in the Nakiri residence basement, Alice frowned at the black and white images moving on the screen.

 _Hmm...looks like it's getting better but they might need a small push..._

Then, looking at another figure moving on another screen, Alice smirked.

 _Next week, it's going to be the holidays, right? I might have exactly what they need..._ she thought as her smirk widened into a fully blown out cunning grin.

* * *

 _That's it for chap 18 x) Hope you enjoyed. Also, it looks like some thought it'd end because of 'The end!' ^^' Sorry about that. I'll be more careful with my ending cries ;)_

 _Answer to guest reviews:_

 **Guest** (1): It's never long enough XD Though it was longer than the previous ones ;) …I think. Thanks for reviewing :)

 **Sorina** : Took forever to update…we're even XD (not that it was on purpose but well) I had a block too so I can understand that. Ganbatte :D Thank you! :D You are absolutely right * nods fervently* Did looooots of research about the food, Urara's personality, …it really was important to do so for this chap after all. Aww…I'm happy I could make you proud * wipes a tear* Hmm…nope no need to explain the cliffhanger XD Well, phobias are no joke so I wanted to stress on that. …I don't mind essays XD Thanks for your review :D :D

 **Guest** (2): Glad to know you like this ^^Thanks for reviewing :D

 **Atsuko** : It's cool…sorry for the late chapter XD ;) Well, I knew no one would have thought of that. The thing is that phobias can be unreasonable for some but no matter what others think, you're afraid of what you're afraid of. And using someone's fear, no, _phobia_ like that borders torture… Here it is ^^ Hope you liked it x) Thanks for reviewing :D

 **Guest** (3): Of the chapter, not the story, don't worry ^^' Still have lots of plans ;) Sorry for confusing you :(

 **Continuation** : It's in my plans, don't worry XD I don't plan to let it end already ;) The two weeks are far from being over :D

 **Gokai Red** : Thanks ^^ Though it's not over yet actually ^^' Got lots of plans ;) I think it's a good idea :D You will probably get more of it in this fic ;) Guess she probably would…hmm. Thanks for reviewing :D

 _Thanks to the registered reviewers_ _ **esrollano**_ _,_ _ **evolvelove**_ _,_ _ **Hinate**_ _,_ _ **Kuroppy**_ _,_ _ **nagitochris**_ _,_ _ **PantherSeraphin**_ _-sama,_ _ **Eramis8**_ _,_ _ **Justinsj5**_ _,_ _ **Gallian Squad 7**_ _,_ _ **raydark182**_ _,_ _ **SomeRandomGuyOnTheNet**_ _,_ _ **JeGosu**_ _,_ _ **Deutzieg**_ _,_ _ **Generation Zero**_ _,_ _ **Wolfkinx**_ _,_ _ **ShadowedEssence**_ _,_ _ **Skytte**_ _,_ _ **Jonny Walker**_ _,_ _ **HiragaSaito16**_ _,_ _ **ijustloveft**_ _, **edna . vibritannia**_ _;) ,_ _ **Exercariver**_ _,_ _ **silentworld94**_ _,_ _ **SsinofPride**_ _,_ _ **Shlugo**_ _,_ _ **Mariafe727**_ _,_ _ **Dalisay08**_ _,_ _ **UltimateGohan42**_ _,_ _ **Classifiedanime**_ _and_ _ **triton1313**_ _:D_

 _Thanks to you all for your patience and sorry for the long wait. Still got lots of plans so I can't even say when it'll end lol XD Maybe 18 more chapters? Who knows…not me obviously XD_

 _Love you all and see you next time :D_

 _Ja ne_


	19. Growing flame

_Hello guys!_

 _I didn't forget about you and am so sorry about the long wait...since it's more of a filler chapter than anything else, I had trouble with it :/ Almost would've skipped the Thursday XD The real thing will start next chap ;)_

 _Thank you all for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing:D_

 _Thanks to my beta Kishoto as well ^^ and to Sorina :D_

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own SnS

* * *

 **Chapter 19: Growing flame**

* * *

 _ **Wednesday evening, Nakiri mansion**_

 _ **Knock knock knock**_

"Come in." Senzaemon invited as he stopped writing and patiently waited for his guest to reveal themselves.

Soon enough, the door opened to reveal his beloved white-haired granddaughter who had a calculating smile on her face and a weird glint in her eyes that he had come to known as a sign that she was planning something, often regarding her unsuspecting cousin...which meant that she problem wanted him to help her with something.

"Good evening Alice." he greeted her with a nod and small smile which elicited a cheerful grin from his granddaughter.

"Good evening Ojii-sama!" she exclaimed happily as she walked towards his desk.

"Feel free to sit." Senzaemon said as he indicated the seat in front of him which Alice promptly took after thanking him.

They stared at each other in a comfortable silence for a while before Senzaemon asked "What is it?" and Alice smiled cunningly back at him.

"I believe that you have noticed the interactions between Erina and Yukihira Sōma." Alice paused and only continued after he nodded and put down his pen, giving her his full attention. "As you know, we have one week of vacations coming soon and I was thinking..."

Alice briefly exposed her plan to her grandfather and when she finished, his eyes had gained a more than interested glint.

"Tell me more about it." he urged and she was more than happy to answer to his request.

...

Twenty minutes later, Alice exited her grandfather's office with a large smirk stretching her lips. Everything had gone as planned and she was ready for the holidays to begin. _I hope you're prepared Erina because these are going to be_ unforgettable _holidays..._

* * *

 _...it's dark...and cold..._

Erina slowly opened her eyes but all she could see was darkness...she couldn't even discern her own body. She only knew her position because she sensed her arms around her legs and her chin against her knees...and her butt against the ice cold floor.

 _...where am I?_

Erina blinked to try to clear up her vision but she still couldn't see anything...except darkness. Again. It always was darkness. It's been a while since she last had a dream of that time...the time when her father locked her up because she wasn't good enough, refusing to throw some dishes or trying to seek help from someone. But it never worked...in the end, they all disappeared from her sight without a single clue to where or just fled from her as if she was the pest itself...

She was tired. Tired of trying to get away from him, tired of trying to get away from her father and so she had surrendered and it had gone all better since then...sort of.

However, just when she had given up, she had been freed from him...or so she thought. Even if he wasn't there physically there anymore, he haunted her dreams and his education was still deeply anchored in her mind and soul. And so she never was really free.

The darkness around her seemed to get even darker, if that was possible, and Erina buried her face against her lap in dejection.

After a while of complete silence, Erina felt something on her hand. A warm thing...which seemed to have the shape of a hand. Slowly lifting up her face, she saw a faint light being emitted from a man hovering her. Somehow, this light was...warm - or rather it made her feel warm somehow.

The silence that had been so...cold and heavy now felt a lot lighter and comfortable and Erina wished it'd stay this way for...for as long as it could.

But too soon, she felt the hand that was on her head lift and start to get away from her. Immediately, her own hand shot up to hold it in its place as she completely lifted up her head to face that mystery man.

She stared hard at him for a while, squinting to see him better. As the light grew stronger, she noticed the red highlight of his hair and golden glint in his eyes. She felt like she was missing something important here as she wondered just why he was feeling so familiar to her but dismissed it for her primary worry of the moment.

"...are you going to leave too?" she asked, her voice just barely above a whisper.

The man's eyes widened as he stared at the girl in bewilderment. After a long moment of silence, his eyes softened and he smiled.

"Well, that was the plan." he said with a hint of amusement in his voice.

Erina's face dropped at his words and her vision turned blurrier.

"So you're going to leave me too...?" she whispered as her gaze dropped to the ground and her grip on him faltered.

Suddenly, chuckles resounded in the silence and her surprised gaze flew back to him in surprise and shock, not comprehending just what was so funny for him. Apparently, he must have seen it in her eyes because he immediately stopped laughing and tried to compose himself. When his voice was stable enough to speak, he finally answered her question while taking her hand.

"Actually, I was planning on leaving _with_ you." he explained with an amused smile as he gave her hand a squeeze.

Erina's mouth dropped open as a single word escaped it. "...what?"

"We're leaving together." he repeated with a grin before adding "...or at least that was the plan. You gotta wake up or we'll be late." Then, bending to her level, he took a breath which made her shiver and spoke directly into her ear "So wake up Erina."

 _Huh? What is he talking ab-_

 _"Erina"_

 _I...I know this voice...It's-_

Erina's eyes fluttered open and as her purple eyes slowly took in their surroundings, the first thing they registered was light. It was a great contrast with the previous darkness she was filled in and as she looked around a little further she had the reason why. It was morning and the windows let all of the light get in and bath her in its brightness. Then, it registered to her that she was currently in her office. Lastly, and she didn't know why it was the last thing she registered, Yukihira Sōma was currently hovering over her with a teasing smile on his face while seemingly waiting for something.

Erina blinked once, then twice before the position they were currently in set in her brain. She was lying on the couch in a sitting position as Sōma had his left knee besides her legs on the couch and his two hands resting besides both sides of her head, his right leg being the only thing that wasn't in that couch. Either way, he was effectively trapping her with his whole body as he observed her with his face being 5 inches away of her own.

Erina blinked again before a fierce blush rapidly covered her whole face and Sōma's smile turned into a grin in response to her reaction.

"G-get off me!" Erina exclaimed in an embarrassed voice as she gave him a little push on the torso with the palm of her hands.

Sōma obediently got away from her while lifting both his hands in the air but the grin never getting away from his face as he continued to stare at the red-faced girl.

She was still a little red when she finally broke the silence.

"Yukihira-kun, what are you doing here?" she asked as she tried to get her mind into order. She didn't even remember why she was in her office in the first place...

"Well," Sōma started, "I came to pick you up but someone was taking forever to come down..." he trailed with a pointed look at her and she fought the blush she had just managed to tame before it engulfed her whole face again. "So I came in and saw Hisako who told me you were probably in your office. Then I came up here and found you sleeping -"

Unexpectedly, Sōma cut himself off and frowned at the girl in concern.

"Were you having a bad dream?" he suddenly asked, surprising the girl in front of him whose breath caught in her throat as her eyes widened slightly. _How did he..._

As if hearing her thoughts, he continued. "You seemed really sad and depressed at first. But when I touched your hair, the air around you lightened a bit..." Sōma added as if talking to himself as he took a pensive stance.

Meanwhile, understanding fell onto Erina's mind. So, she hadn't been dreaming at that time...it was his hand that had touched her - wait. Did she...she didn't, right...?

Focusing back onto the silent boy, she slowly opened her mouth.

"Did I..." Erina started and he gave her his undivided attention, encouraging her to continue. "Did I...did I say anything while I was sleeping...?"

Sōma smiled a little at her as he nodded. "Yeah, you asked if I was going to leave."

Erina could no longer fight the blush that was coming and a second later her entire body was hot. _That wasn't a dream either..._ Did you ever want to dig a hole and hide in there for the rest of your life? Right now, Erina sure did but she fought that urge and settled for closing her eyelids tightly together and wishing she could disappear. How did it come to this...like, really? She sure could remember coming into her office in the morning because she wanted to work on some paperwork while she was waiting for her 'boyfriend' and then getting on the couch because it was kinda more comfortable than her chair - actually it wasn't. It only was longer...oh dear, last night tired her more than she thought it had if she had felt the need to get on the couch only to fall asleep on it...maybe she could be somewhere else if she wished hard enough?

She was in the middle of her wish when she felt his hot breath against her neck and ear.

"It was rather cute if you ask me." he said in a husky voice before leaning back and laughing at the look on her face. Oh gosh, she was just too adorable and way too easy to tease. Every time, he got great reactions out of her and he loved it. That was rapidly becoming his favorite pastime, Sōma thought with a fond smile before his eyes fell on the clock of her office and he instantly lost it.

"Well, that was fun and all but we have to leave _now_ or we'll be late." Sōma said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her up before proceeding to drag her along to his bike.

"Woah! Wait! Why are you in such a hurry suddenly -" the rest of her sentence was forgotten as her eyes fell on the clock as well. Okay, so they indeed had to get moving now or else, they _would_ be late.

She fastened her pace and soon they were both on his bike and racing out of the gate, her blond hair flowing in the wind before they disappeared in the distance.

* * *

Seven minutes later, the sound of tires screeching could be heard in the academy parking lot. Sōma put down his left foot on the ground and turned off the engine before taking off his helmet and looked down at the pair of trembling arms that were currently trying to break his bones with their impressive iron clutch.

"Hum..." he started as he tried to look at her over his shoulder but could only see her helmet against his back, "We're here so...you can let go of me now." he said as he put his left hand on her trembling ones.

A few seconds passed and he could see no reaction from her so he tried again. "Hum...Erina?"

Two seconds later, he felt her hand lifting from his back and her hands relaxed their hold on him. Four more seconds later, she spoke.

"...I don't remember allowing you to call me that." she whispered before letting go of him completely and shakily dismounting his bike. Then she threw her headpiece at him completely intending to hit him hard and maybe hurt him - actually, scratch that maybe - but he managed to catch it before throwing her a surprised look.

"Wow! Careful!" he exclaimed as he looked at her with wide eyes to which Erina responded with the darkest glare she could mutter after being scared out of her wits because they took half the time they usually took to get to school (...that alone said it all) and when she was currently trying to make the Earth stop shaking.

"You! Have no right to talk about carefulness right now." she reprimanded as she pointed at him accusingly.

"Well, we were going to be late." he retorted.

"That doesn't mean you had to - this is ridiculous. I'm never getting on that thing ever again. Now if you'll excuse me." Erina stated before turning on her heels and stomping - walking _a little_ loudly - towards the entrance of the building.

"Wait." Sōma said as he put away the helmets and rapidly dismounted his moped. "Don't take rash decisions." he said as he ran a little to catch up with her.

"Rash. Decisions." Erina slowly repeated as she stopped to give him a look over her shoulder before continuing to walk without bothering to slow down her pace for him to catch up with her.

"Okay, okay! I shouldn't have driven so fast, even if we were late." Sōma conceded as he finally caught up with his 'girlfriend'.

"Oh, really?" Erina asked sarcastically without bothering to look at him.

Sōma ignored it and continued. "I thought that maybe you had gotten used to it since it's been almost a week now but I was wrong." he explained before adding "Didn't think you'd still be afraid of it." in a half teasing half apologetic tone.

Erina froze in her step before giving him an angry look and deciding that answering him just wasn't worth it, she continued to go towards her classroom without adding a single word.

There were few students in the halls and she had almost reached her class when her hand was suddenly grabbed, forcing her to stop in her tracks.

Despite this, Erina stubbornly kept facing forwards and she heard her companion sigh in resignation. Then, he gently gave her hand a squeeze before letting it go.

"I'll see you at lunch. We'll talk more then." Sōma said before heading to his own classroom, leaving a half mad half surprised Erina in his wake who only went in when she was sure she had no more hint of reddish dust left on her face.

* * *

As she was walking towards the parking lot, Erina's mind wandered to that morning's events and she willed her face to keep its normal composure. That had been so embarrassing...especially after last night. She had already been vulnerable then so being like that this morning too was kinda too much...especially when she didn't even want to appear fragile and all before other people. She had to be strong and flawless, that's...what was required of her as the heiress of the Nakiri household. She had to live up to that name even if she sometimes wanted to be free of the pressure it held.

Maybe she'd never be, after all, you can't run away from your own name, can you? (Somewhere, not that far away, some people would beg to differ but Erina didn't know that so...no reason to evoke it.)

Erina was still pondering over that when she jumped and turned around only to find her 'boyfriend's' face 5 inches away from her own...she should have seen it coming when she felt that blow on her neck, really. That's what Erina thought as she exasperatedly stared at him while trying to calm her heart pace.

A sigh escaped her parted lips before she looked him in the eye and asked "What do I have to do for you to stop doing that?" in a voice that hinted long suffering.

"Hmm...I don't think it actually exists." he replied after a short pensive pause with a big teasing grin which made Erina look up in the air while praying God for patience.

Then coming to the sad realization that it probably was true, she just sighed and turned around to continue walking. Seeing that she was leaving, Sōma fell into step next to her and changed the subject.

"So, you have nothing left to do here?" he asked as he put both his hands in his pockets.

"No, I'm done for today." Erina replied. She had just confirmed that fact with Hisako actually which is why she had allowed her mind to wander like that...until he came to disrupt her that is. Like he always did.

A breath escaped her lips as that thought crossed her mind. There was no changing him, huh? Well, she only had one more week of that anyway -

Suddenly, Erina froze in her tracks. A sharp pain had accompanied that thought and she didn't know why. What was that supposed to mean...? She had been looking forward to the end of the pretense ever since it started so why was she in pain when she thought about it? Shouldn't she be happy instead? Why did it always become so confusing when it came to Yukihira Sōma?

"-na? Erina?"

 _Hmm?_

Startled out of her thoughts, Erina looked up and right into the concerned gaze of her 'boyfriend'...she really should work on that habit of spacing out like that. She was doing that way too often recently...

Focusing back on her surroundings, she noticed that she was already in the parking lot. Well, that was fast though she had been spacing out for who knows how long so it wasn't that surprising, really.

"So, ready to go back?" Sōma asked as he mounted his bike and held her helmet out to her.

"...I'm not getting on that thing again." Erina declared as she stubbornly took her phone out,

"Oh, come on! I thought we talked it out during lunch and decided that you would while we're in this relationship." Sōma reminded her in a half complaining voice.

"Only if you don't drive so fast again!" Erina corrected, "If you do, I'm never riding it again even if we're still in that relationship." she added with a sense of finality in her voice.

"...fine." Sōma reluctantly agreed. He'd have to restrain himself if temptation came around again. "Now, get on!" he exclaimed as he put his own helmet on and started the engine.

Erina stared at the headpiece in her hands for a few seconds before she grudgingly put it on and took place behind the boy, encircling his midsection with her arms which, unbeknownst to her, brought a small smile on the boy's face. He was getting used to this...maybe a little too much. Actually, it might be weird when this whole thing will be over.

Somehow, Sōma wasn't looking forward to the end of it at all.

* * *

 _ **Friday afternoon, Tōtsuki academy**_

The sound of a hand slamming against a hard surface echoed in the room and red eyes slowly traveled up towards its owner. Unexpectedly, they were met with the view of a less than happy Nakiri Erina, looking as if she was ready to latch at her at any moment.

She blankly blinked up at her blond cousin as if asking what was the matter with her.

A simple "Explain." spoken in a clipped tone, barely containing the anger hidden behind it was the only answer she got.

Looking down at the table, Alice then noticed a piece of paper under that hand. Staring at it for a while, she could read the title on it and immediately connected the dots.

"Oh! That!" Alice exclaimed before looking at Erina with an innocent air of someone who had nothing to blame themselves for. "It's pretty simple really."

"Really?" Erina repeated sarcastically.

"Yeah. It's just a simple announcement concerning the holidays, that's all." Alice developed further.

"I already knew that." Erina stated in a cold voice, "What I want to know is what role you played in that arrangement." she explained as her anger grew with every syllable.

Alice opened her mouth to answer but then closed it and looked around them. Every student present in the room had their eyes on them and instantly evaded her gaze when they noticed they had been caught in the act, trying to pretend that they hadn't been eavesdropping on the two cousins. Looking back at the blond, Alice opened her mouth again.

"I'd love to provide you with the answers you seek, if it is in my abilities that is, but I know for a fact that you love privacy for this kind of matters which is the one thing we lack right now." Alice declared before throwing a meaningful look at the students around them. "Not that I mind though." she added after a few seconds with a small smile directed at her favorite blond-haired cousin.

That made Erina fully come back to her senses and she threw a look at their surroundings for the first time since she had entered the room, only now noticing the many students occupying the classroom.

After a moment of silence and staring contest with red clashing against purple, Erina took a deep breath before letting it out and withdrawing her hand and the paper from the table separating them.

"Fine." Erina conceded in a much calmer tone. "We'll talk later at the mansion." she added with a sense of finality with clearly left no room for discussion before turning on her heels and exiting the room, completely missing Alice's cunning smirk as she did so.

 _Things are starting to get interesting and these holidays are going to be completely unforgettable._ Alice thought as her smirk widened. _I'll make sure of it._

* * *

 _To be continued... XD_

 _Answer to guest reviews:_

 **Guest** (1): Right? XD I love her. It was a filler but real things will start next chap ;) Thanks for reviewing :D

 **Gokai Red:** Yes XD I guess it is a fast pace indeed XD Really? Aww...thanks ^^ I'm really happy that you're enjoying it ^^ Well, it was more of a filler than anything else actually. But it'll start next chap ;) Hmm...actually they're kinda forgetting about at all the time XD And yet never lol. May not make much sense ^^' In fact, since they don't actually really 'act' they're not really faking it, you know? Well, they'll realize at some point alright. We'll see where it goes ;) Thank you for your lovely review ;D

 **Guest** (2): I'm so so sorry for the long wait :( Hope you enjoyed chapter 19? Thanks for reviewing :)

 **Atsuko:** Lol XD I loved writing it ;) Hmm...I don't know, maybe? XD We'll se ehow it goes ;D There will be ^^ ...or at least it's in my plans XD Hmm...maybe. Though Inhave to admit I don't really plan to have him physically appear since it'll complicate things a lot :/ But you never know ;) I'm so sorry for the long wait :( Really :( I hope you'll enjoy it? Thank you for your review ;D

 **Guest** (3): ...Sorry for the long wait :( Hope you enjoyed chapter 19? Did those moments satisfy you a little? Thanks for reviewing x)

 **SoNa:** I'm really happy to know that :D Thanks for telling me :D Were those satisfying? ;) And sorry for the wait... :(

 **Guest** (4 & 5): Here it is :) Sorry for the wait :(

 **HarmonicaFreak:** It's not XD Aww...thank you :D I'm really sorry for the long wait :( I really wanted to update sooner but couldn't :( Lol XD I'm glad Misunderstanding answered to your desires XD I wanted one of those myself hence this fic ;) Lol XD Feel free to tell me if you'd like ;) Thanks for reviewing :D

 **FutanariLover:** Yeah x) Aww...I'm glad to know you're enjoying it :D Thanks ^^ Well, it'll officially start next chap ;D This one was an interlude ;) Thank you for reviewing :D

 **MaiNigguh:** I know... :( I'm really sorry for the long wait... :( Had trouble with this chap... :/ But here it is :) Hope you enjoyed ^^

 _Thanks you all the registered reviewers as well :D **, silentworld94, mighelnog1, Generation Zero, DSDK, HiragaSaito16, Keysone, nagitochris, Kuroppy, ChaosOmega8, Justinsj5, Skytte, raydark182, Hinate, Gallian Squad 7, evolvelove, WolfKinx, Mariafe727, KaleDGhoul, JeGosu, Ryner510, icycoldbutts, LeoneKun, UltimateGohan42, sarara1.8** and **yeekit000** :D_

 _...you know how much I love you guys? I love you enough to actually take the time to properly write those answers and all your names even if I'm tired...yeah, I love you that much. Especially since you've all been waiting so long... Again, I'm sorry._

 _See you all next chap!_

 _Ja ne_


	20. Moving to another part of hell

_Hello guys :)_

… _I'm so sorry for the long wait :( I had a lack of inspiration and then, I wasn't satisfied with it so started over completely which took some time…and then I didn't know how to end it ^^' Don't hate me? And I hope you'll enjoy this chap… :)_

 _Anyway, thanks for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing :D It means a lot to me x)_

 _Special thanks to_ _ **Panther**_ _-sama x)_

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own SnS.

* * *

 **Chapter 20: Moving to another part of hell**

* * *

 _ **Friday morning, Nakiri manor**_

The manor air was peaceful at the end of this week, even with the employees doing their job which went from cleaning, gardening and making sure there were no intruders to cooking and preparing the table for breakfast. It really was like any other morning in the Nakiri mansion, as the small noises failed to disturb the occupants of the house who were peacefully laying in their bed, taking in all the rest they could before starting their day...except for one Nakiri Erina.

The blonde was seating in her bed, panting quietly as she fully came to consciousness, dismissing the last remnants of that bad dream from her mind as she did. Okay, maybe it hadn't been such a bad dream but seriously, what was wrong with her those days? She had dreamed of Yukihira Sōma of all people! ...again. Though, it wasn't that much of a surprise since they spent lots of time together lately but still...him and her? Being all lovey-dovey during their holidays? Where did that come from? They were only pretending for Pete's sake! Even she wanted to have a calm, peaceful and trouble free break...

As she calmed her racing heart and willed her face to get back its original much paler color, Erina's purple eyes slowly traveled around the room and ended up on a book lying by her side in the bed, not far from the place her right hand had been before she sat up. Looking at it more carefully, she remembered a few things about it. First of all, it was a shoujo manga, unsurprisingly, who had a girl with light colored hair as its main character. Second, it took place during summer holidays and recounted the love story of two high school students who coincidentally met in the countryside, only then realizing that they were going to the same school. Erina could faintly recall stopping in the middle of their date at the summer festival.

Well, that partly explained her weird dream. But somehow, she just couldn't dismiss the feeling that that was not all there was to it...that something would happen soon...and she would bet everything she had that her cousin had a part in whatever that was.

* * *

 _ **Lunch break, Tōtsuki academy**_

"What- what is the meaning of this...?!" Erina murmured as she stood in front of the announcement board, her limbs trembling in fury as her eyes were fixed on that hanging sheet. By the look in her eyes, you'd think it had done her personal offense...

 _This can't be happening...! There's no way that I would -_

"Oh! Here you are, Nakiri!" a masculine voice ringed from behind her and Erina unwillingly flinched. He was the last person she wanted to see right now, and she couldn't bring herself to detach her eyes from that sheet of paper. Just the thought of having to -

"Hmm?"

Sōma's voice interrupted her thinking once again as she stubbornly stared right in front of her, willing the words to change somehow by some kind of miracle. Maybe if she believed enough, they would...

"What is it you're looking so passionately at?" Sōma asked as he let his own eyes fall onto the innocent paper. On it, was an announcement concerning the coming week of holidays. It went like this.

 _To all the participants of the Autumn Elections and to the Elite Ten's tenth seat._

 _As a reward for the first years' hard work and as recognition of the skills you've demonstrated during the Elections, you are offered holidays in a beach resort affiliated to Tōtsuki situated near Okinawa._

 _Those who scored less than 80 points will be staying in a hotel while those who scored over 80 points and the tenth seat will be staying in a villa owned by the Nakiri family._

 _A bus and a car will leave at 10 a.m on Saturday. Please present yourself at that time._

 _If you are unable to make it for some reason, please address yourself to the secretary._

"Oooh?" Sōma whistled before turning to the quiet blonde next to him with a grin. "Looks like we'll spend the break together."

And Erina wanted nothing more but to murder him. Why on Earth would he be so happy about that...heck, why did he think that _she_ would be happy about that ?!

Not that she was completely against the idea of meeting up during the holidays, but still! She had already planned out her precious week and _this_ hadn't been a part of it. Spending _all_ of their time together hadn't been part of her trouble free and relaxing plan, for the very good reason that every time they were together, her emotions were in for a loop and she ended up emotionally and mentally exhausted. That's why she had wanted to spend her time replenishing and taking time to rest her body and mind while occasionally meeting up...maybe. Probably. Alice would have made them if they hadn't made plans of their own anyway...she always seemed to know everything about that kind of thing.

She could have continued to think about all that announcement meant for her break for a while if his next words hadn't made her brain still for a moment.

"Hey, do you think we'll have to share a room?" he asked as he took a pensive stance before his dorm mates called out to him, distracting him from the blonde.

Erina had been so upset about the fact that she would have to spend the entire break with him that that thought hadn't even crossed her mind...until now. It couldn't be...right? They wouldn't do that to her, would they? They were 'dating' but it didn't mean they would make them share a room right? But if they had to then...

Erina's face rapidly heated up before she shook it, freeing her mind from useless thoughts. There was just no way this was happening...! Why had her break plans turned out like this?!

The blonde stilled as realization struck her and her eyebrows furrowed as her eyes darkened along with the rest of her features.

 _Aliiiiiiice...!_

...

That was why an absolutely furious Nakiri Erina stormed into her cousin's classroom that same afternoon while demanding an explanation. The white-haired teen hadn't been frazed by her visit a bit, having expected it all along, and merely reminded her that this wasn't the best place nor time for that kind of conversation which led us to now.

 _ **Friday evening, Nakiri mansion**_

"Eeeeh... Witch-chan and stalker-kun can't come?" Alice whined as she pouted in disappointment.

"Hai." Ryō confirmed from where he was standing in front of her desk. "The secretary just called me to let me know." he said and thought for a while before adding "Though Sadatsuka-san can't come with us because it would be a break into the agreement stating that she can't come into your cousin's vicinity." he stated as he looked at his lady.

"Oh, right. There was that thing huh..." Alice said, her disappointment completely forgotten. "And stalker-kun?" she asked, looking expectantly at her aide.

"It seems like Mimasaki-san had plans already." Ryō simply responded, looking into Alice's eyes.

Alice nodded to that before humming in thought. So those two wouldn't come, huh...that meant that there were two places left. Hmm...maybe she could find two other people to take them? But who...

The red-eyed girl spinner around in thought before she abruptly stopped and looked at Ryō-kun with wide eyes.

"I know!" she exclaimed before conspiratorially smiling at the black-haired lad. "Call _him_."

Ryō blinked at her before nodding wordlessly, understanding who he was supposed to call by the look of mirth in her eyes.

He was just taking his phone out when an angry knock interrupted his string of actions. Two pairs of red eyes slid on the door before traveling back to clash against the other. Knowing who her displeased visitor was, she made sign to Ryō for him to open the door.

Surely, her blonde cousin was fuming at behind it.

Seeing her like that, Ryō took it as his clue to leave. "Then, I'll be leaving." he said before nodding and getting out of the room without waiting for his lady to say a word.

"Wait, Ryō-kun!" Alice called out after him but he was already gone and she was left staring at her less than pleased cousin who entered and closed the door as soon as the man was out.

"Mou..." Alice pouted as she spun around in her desk chair, completely ignoring her cousin's mood.

Erina's eyebrow twitched in annoyance and she slammed her right hand on the desk.

"Will you stop that already?!" she barked and Alice immediately stopped the chair from spinning, seemingly in surprise before pouting.

"No need to get so angry..." Alice mumbled which earned her a fierce glare from her cousin. Upon seeing it, Alice lifted both her hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, I'm listening." she sighed before giving Erina her undivided attention.

That calmed Erina a bit and she retracted her hand. She let a few moments of silence pass as she waited to be calm enough to speak.

"...why would you do this, Alice?" Erina simply asked as her purple eyes calmly stared into her cousin's red ones.

Alice was tempted to deny it but seeing the look in her eyes, Erina wouldn't believe her for a second and she seemed really serious right now...

"Tch." Alice clicked her tongue as she let her innocent mask fall to reveal a cunning smirk making Erina's eyebrows furrow at her. However it disappeared quickly, letting an excited grin appear instead. "Why you say...it's because it'll be way more fun with everyone around!" she simply answered.

Erina's eyes squinted as she looked at her suspiciously, silently inspecting her as if trying to read her.

"You..." she said after a while, "Just what are you planning...?" Erina murmured dubiously.

"Hmm?" Alice opened her eyes to look at her and Erina could see a glint of mirth shining in her eyes. "Nothing much, don't worry. I'm sure you'll have lots of fun!" she added in a tone that ought to be reassuring. To the blonde, it was anything but. It actually made her worry even more. Maybe she should call in sick or something...

She was seriously considering the idea when Alice spoke again.

"Ah! I almost forgot." she said as if she had just remembered something, "Since the villa we're going to stay in is ours, Ojii-sama wants you to look for some documents that are probably there. He said he'd call you when you'd be there at some point during our stay."

Erina's hands turned into fists as she clenched her teeth. _Damn it...!_ She had no way out of this, did she? Damn it! She had planned this really carefully, hadn't she?

"Don't look at me like that." Alice complained as she pouted and crossed her arms under her chest. "Anyway, shouldn't you go and get your luggage ready? We're leaving tomorrow morning after all,"

Erina's teeth gritted against one another as she trembled in frustration. She was being played with and there was nothing she could do to change that...just like that, she was forced to go along with it. _Damn it_ _...!_

...she knew it, something bad had indeed happened that day.

* * *

 _ **Riiiing riiiing riiiing**_

Sōma plunged his hand in his pocket to extract his ringing phone and looked at the screen. He didn't recognize the number but decided to slide his finger over the screen to take the call anyway.

"Hello?"

" _Yukihira?_ "

"Yeah, it's me."

" _It's_ _Kurokiba. I'm calling you in Alice-oujo's stead about the holiday trip._ "

Sōma's left eyebrow lift in wonder. "What about it?" he asked as he sat on his chair. He had been packing when his ringtone had echoed in his room.

" _Two people in our group can't come so ojou asked me to tell you that you could bring two other first years of your choice._ "

"Eh? Why me?" Sōma asked, honestly surprised.

" _She said it's because you were a runner up in the Elections._ "

"But you were too...and Hayama was first." Sōma stated, confused.

" _I have no one in mind and ojou said that Hayama wouldn't have first year friends who aren't coming already. Which is probably why she chose you._ " Ryō flatly explained over the phone.

"I see." Sōma simply said in response. It made sense. And he already knew who he would choose. "Should I give you their name now?"

" _That won't be necessary. If there's nothing else, I'll be hanging up now._ "

"It's fine. Ja na." Sōma said before he heard the line being disconnected.

...this had to be one of the weirdest conversation he ever had. Sōma thought as he stared at his phone for a second. Then shrugging, he sent a text to his two friends and put it back in his pocket before resuming his packing.

* * *

"Oi. Erina. Wake up!" Sōma exclaimed as he shook the sleeping blonde's shoulder. It was no use. Sōma sighed in defeat. He had been trying to wake he girl up for some time now but she hadn't even opened her eyes once.

Resigned, he stared at her sleeping face for a while before poking her forehead with his left index which elicited a frown and a complaining noise from the girl. Sōma's lips stretched in a fond smile in response as his eyes softened.

"Jeez. I guess you won't wake up, huh?" Sōma asked to no one in particular before he glanced outside.

The others were no longer in sight but he could hear their exclamation of awe and excited chatter. They must have gone to look around for a bit...after all, they had been traveling for quite some time now...

As the announcement said, the bus left the school at 10 o'clock that morning. Of course, the car did too...if you can call it that. The 'car' turned out to be a grand limo were all the ones who had scored over 80, plus the tenth seat and his two guests, would be traveling until the airport. Needless to say it had been a really fun ride.

Ikumi had been talking with Yūki, Ryoko and Megumi most of the time even if she occasionally argued with Takumi whose twin brother Isami spent the whole ride laughing at. Shun was quietly looking at the scenery and Marui tried his best not to be caught in Daigo's and Shoji's constant quarrel while Hayama stared at them all as if they were endangered species which he was seeing for the first time...when he wasn't being pulled in a conversation with Sōma and Ryō or talking about spices and their different uses with Hisako. Sometimes, Houjou joined them to add her own knowledge of Chinese spices in the mix. During that time, Erina had been alternatively glaring at her cousin who always gave her a big innocent grin before excitedly looking at the scenery, and watching the other occupants of the limo. Somehow, they made a surprising group but still ended up getting along with one another.

When they arrived at the airport, they found out that they had a whole plane (not that big but still...) reserved solely for the Tōtsuki students, the over 80 ones being in first class. That shouldn't have surprised them but...it always was impressive to see Tōtsuki display its power and wealth.

The plane ride had been really enjoyable. It had been the first time Sōma had traveled in first class and he had made sure to make the most of it, tasting all the dishes he could even if that meant sharing with others, Erina included even if she had been against it at first...he couldn't get why. It had been really fun.

 _ ***Flashback***_

 _"Wow! First class is really something else!" Sōma whistled as he boarded the plane and took his seat._

 _He was next to his 'girlfriend' of course who had taken the seat next to the porthole so he took the seat next to the aisle. In front of them were seating Alice and Ryō. Behind them were Hayama and Hisako who had insisted not to be too far from her mistress and across from him were the Aldinis with Takumi only being separated from him by the aisle. The others were seating a little farther from him and were happily chatting with one another._

 _When Sōma had said that he wanted them to taste lots of food, hers included, she had immediately protested._

 _"No. I have no reason to share my food with you." Erina declared stubbornly before turning to admire the view._

 _"Come on! I'll let you taste mine too." Sōma said with a grin._

 _"I don't want to!" Erina exclaimed quietly as to not attract attention to them. If they were too loud about it, she just knew this would just mean trouble for her -_

 _"Ooh! That's a good idea!" Alice exclaimed and Erina wished that she hadn't been right for once as she glared up at her cousin who was looking at them from over her seat back._

 _Alice had her two arms crossed over the top as her head rested on them both. Erina wished for a stewardess to come and scold her but it seemed that they were busy elsewhere...just her luck._

 _"No, it's not." Erina retorted as she turned away from them both._

 _"Oh! Will you feed each other too?!" Alice exclaimed, loud enough for the others to hear her and Erina turned around to face her so quickly that Sōma feared that she had gotten a whiplash in the process._

 _Her purple eyes glared so hard at her infuriating cousin that if looks could kill, she would have disappeared on the spot. Unfortunately for her, they couldn't and Erina had to settle for glaring as hard as she could._

 _Meanwhile, Sōma settled for observing the exchange. When he wasn't subjected to that glare, it was incredibly interesting to watch it. Erina's angry face had something that was just...captivating._

 _"You two are just so lovey-dovey!" Alice declared in a teasing voice which was way too loud to Erina's taste._

 _She knew it. Alice had organized this whole trip just to mess with her. She had said it'd be fun, hadn't she? She would bet everything she had that she was only making it more fun for herself...damn it. Damn it! Damn it all!_

 _Erina's whole body started to tremble in irritation and she could feel her face getting hotter and hotter as blood rushed to her head. Murderous thoughts circled in her mind and she seriously considered rendering her infuriating cousin unable to mess with her anymore than that._

 _Seeing that it was taking a turn for the worst, Sōma finally decided to intervene._

 _"Now, now. Let's calm down, shall we?" he said, trying to pacify the two._

 _Erina directed her glare at him before gritting her teeth and looking away from both of them. As for Alice, she glanced at him before pouting and complaining that he was 'no fun' as she slid back into her seat._

 _ ***End of flashback***_

Okay, it hadn't been _that_ fun now that he actually thought about it...

After that, Erina had been in a foul mood for the rest of the flight but she had let him taste her dish in the end so at least, it didn't seem it was him she was mad at for once.

Once they landed at Naha airport after approximately two and half hours, they were directed to another limo just as grand as the first one while the other group took a reserved bus to their hotel. They actually took the same road at first but parted when the bus arrived at its destination. It seemed like the villa was a little farther away from the airport than the hotel.

So they continued to chitchat with one another or admire the view as they went.

"Hmm...hey, Nakiri-san, you know the villa we're going to, right?" Yūki asked, directing all the attention on her and the white-haired girl.

"Why, of course I do! It's part of the Nakiri property after all." Alice replied proudly.

"Eeeeh...then how is it? Is it next to the beach?!" Yūki asked excitedly.

"It is!" Alice confirmed with a grin. "But I only went there once when I was little so I don't really remember much about it." she added as a corner of her lips slightly bent downwards and Yūki's face fell a little.

"Is that so..." she murmured as her gaze slid down.

Seeing that, Alice quickly added "But Erina probably does! She spent lots of time there." and Yūki's expression instantly brightened as she turned towards the blonde only to fall into a deadpanned one at the sight that greeted her.

The heiress was quietly slumbering next to her boyfriend. She frowned slightly as if feeling the gazes on her but as soon as it came, it was gone and her expression relaxed. They all gave an empty laugh before Alice sighed.

"I guess she was more tired than I thought." she said as she sent a fond 'It can't be helped' look to her sleeping cousin. "We'll arrive soon anyway, you'll see it with your own eyes." she added with a bright smile.

"True." Yūki replied with a bright smile before she resumed looking outside and the others went back to their own thing as well.

As for Sōma, his attention stayed on the sleeping blonde. As he looked at her slightly parted lips as she breathed in and out, he briefly wondered why he hadn't noticed that she was that tired before. A breath went past his lips as he gave her a soft look that didn't go unnoticed by most of the inhabitants of the car.

At that moment, the car went over a bump, surprising them all and making Erina's head fall on Sōma's shoulder. He immediately turned his head towards her and found her still asleep, unperturbed by the event. He was about to shake her awake when Alice stopped him.

"It's fine, isn't it? Let her sleep some more." she said with a 'You're her boyfriend, no? So it's okay, right?' look that had him nod in agreement.

...and that led us to now, Sōma trying to wake her up in vain while the others were freely exploring the mansion - because it was more of a mansion than a villa, as he had expected - and the surroundings.

The driver had already excited the car as well and took all of their belongings in the hall before going...somewhere...leaving the redhead all alone with the sleeping blonde in the limo.

Just what was he supposed to do now? It's not like he could carry her to her room since he didn't know where it was. Alice had said that she would assign everyone to their room but she had left the limo before doing so, probably intending to do it inside the manor.

 _Hmm?_

Hadn't she talked about putting a list in the hall? If so, he'd know if he went in...Sōma thought as he glanced at the hall before looking back at Erina. The problem was that he didn't want to leave her alone in the car...

A breath escaped his lips as Sōma came to a solution. It was the only thing that was coming to mind...oh well, it wouldn't seem odd since they _were_ a couple. Supposedly.

Moving carefully as to not wake the girl up, he shifted her head from the top of his shoulder to its inner side as he slowly turned around. Her head slid on his chest some more but since she made no sign of awaking, he figured he could go along with the rest of his plan. After that, Sōma slid his left arm behind her back while he slightly bend to slid his right one under her knees. Then, securing his hold on her, he pulled her towards his chest even more until she was directly on his lap.

It's only when that was done, that something occurred to Sōma and he hastily looked up to the door. He let out a sigh of relief when he found it open, otherwise he would have had a hard time opening it on his own. His eyes fell on the blonde peacefully sleeping in his arms once more and he tightened his hold.

 _Yosh! Here goes nothing._

Sōma swiftly lifted her from his lap and crouched down to exit from the car, only properly standing once he was out of it. After adjusting his hold on her once again and making sure he wouldn't drop her, Sōma took a second to look at the heiress in his arms. Her breath was still as even as it had been in the car and her expression was still as peaceful, if not more.

 _Jeez..._

Sōma thought fondly as he shook his head slightly, a soft smile now adorning his lips. There really was no helping it, huh. He wondered just what kind of face she would have made if he had done that when she was conscious...

A chuckle escaped him as he imagined her flailing around and telling him to put her down already, probably with a red face either due to anger or embarrassment or maybe both.

Oh well. For now, he should take her to her bed.

And with that last thought, Sōma began his way to the main hall of the mansion. He didn't really take the time to look around on the way since he was focused on the task at hand, though he did look around the grand hall. Somehow, it made him think about their Tōtsuki mansion...when he saw that it was a villa, he first thought it'd be a normal one but after a second thought, he just knew that the Nakiris just wouldn't do anything small...even if it did seem a little bit smaller than their Tōtsuki residence.

But now wasn't the time to compare them. Rapidly looking at the flat surfaces surrounding him such as the tables and walls, he spotted a sheet of paper resting on a table at the center of the hall. He approached it and as he expected, it was the room assignation.

Sōma quickly found both their names. Their rooms were on the 3rd floor, at the end of the right aisle, on the left. Erina had the farther one while his was just before hers. It wasn't that surprising since they were 'dating', especially if Alice was indeed behind all this like Erina thought. He had heard her muttering her name when she was looking at the board...

Not that he minded. He didn't especially care which room he was assigned to after all.

Without wasting more time, he started his way up to Erina's room. Since it was on the top floor, it was a bit of an hassle with her in his arms so when he finally reached the top of the staircase, he sighed in relief and took a small pause, looking at the two aisles at the same time. If they were on the right aisle, given the disposition of the stairs then he probably should go left, right? Right.

Going down the corridor on his left, Sōma walked until he reached the last door on his left. He stopped in front of it and stared at the closed door quietly as another problem rose.

Just how on Earth was he supposed to open the door if both his hands were full with the blonde...?!

The doorknob was the round type you had to grab and turn to actually open the door so even if he somehow managed to get a hold of it and push it down, it wouldn't suffice...

Sōma sweat dropped as a deadpanned look covered his features. He had made it this far only to be blocked by a door. Now, he had to go and look for someone to open the door but he didn't know if they were inside since he had heard excited chatter outside before coming inside...not that he had a choice. With a little luck, maybe he'd find someone -

"Yukihira?"

Sōma's head turned towards the owner of the voice he had just heard and discovered Kurokiba standing a few feet away from him with what seemed to be Alice's suitcase if he recalled correctly.

"What are you doing?" Ryō asked flatly as he looked at the sleeping girl in the lad's arms and then at the closed door in front of them. "Ah. Can't open the door?" he asked again after analyzing the situation.

Sōma sweat dropped as a sheepish grin stretched his lips. "A-aa." he confirmed abashedly, "Actually, I was just about to look for someone to help me with that." he explained with an embarrassed laugh.

"I see." Ryō simply said. Then, without another word, he walked towards them and opened the door for him after Sōma had moved out of the way.

"Thanks." Sōma nodded at Ryō who nodded back before crossing the hallway and entering the room adjacent to Erina's - probably Alice's then - as the couple passed the now opened door's threshold.

As he expected, the room was really a sight to see. If someone told him that royalty was to stay there, he would have believed them without a second thought...

Every piece of furniture was a real piece of art, be it the closet, the desk, the couch or the bed. Even the nightstand was carefully carved and polished as if the artist had cared for every single detail of it. The queen-sized bed was especially grandiose with the veil flowing down as if trying to hide it from view...but in the end it was just a bed. If it served its purpose then it was good enough.

And its current role was to receive the princess sleeping in his arms.

Swiftly nearing it, Sōma stopped at its side and carefully lowered the girl to the mattress. Then, he cautiously retracted his arms from beneath her, making sure not to stir her more than necessary until a pull stopped his movement.

Golden eyes soon fell on the hand from where it originated, traveling upwards until they were on its slumbering owner's slightly frowning face.

The redhead wondered what to do for a moment since staying in this bent forward position was just not possible due to the strain it was putting on his back. Coming to a decision, Sōma bent forward even more, stopping when his face was next to her ear, and proceeded to blow air in it. He knew for a fact that she didn't like it and as he expected, Erina soon rolled over the other side of the bed to escape the sudden inconvenience, freeing her prisoner from her body lock.

Straightening his posture, Sōma let a smile take over his features as he looked at his 'girlfriend'. Thinking back at the recent events, he briefly wondered what he hadn't done that day for the girl...

"Yukihira-kun!"

 _Hmm?_

Golden eyes slid onto the still open door as their owner's brain proceeded to identify that the feminine voice that was calling seemed to be much farther than the door, or even the hallway for that matter. It seemed to be coming all the way down from the grand hall.

"Mou...Will you come and take your and Erina's luggage up to your rooms?" Alice inquired before muttering something that he failed to catch.

Apparently, he hadn't taken her luggage up, Sōma thought as he chuckled lightly. Oh well. He had to take his up too so he would have gone down anyway. Plus, he hadn't looked around just yet...

"Duty calls." he muttered before gently removing Erina's shoes and placing them next to the closet. He couldn't just let her sleep with shoes on after all. Then, he made his way to the door, and stopped just before exiting the room to glance at her sleeping figure a last time, confirming the fact that she was indeed still asleep.

"Well, gotta go fetch those luggages." he stated before turning around and leaving the room, closing the door on the peaceful heiress.

...

"Erina."

 _Hmm?_

"Erina!"

 _Who is it?_

"Wake up, Erina!"

Eyelids slowly unglued themselves from each other, revealing the twin amethysts that were hidden beneath them.

"Come on, there are fireworks!"

As the girl's eyes slowly came onto focus, they fell onto the beautiful blonde woman hovering over her.

"Ma...ma?" she slowly called out, noticing that her voice seemed a little different from what she remembered it to be.

"Aa. Come here! It's gonna start!" the woman said before opening up her arms and extending them towards her daughter.

Erina did the same and her mother bent down to pick her up, enveloping her of her arms before quickly making her way out of the mansion towards the sandy beach. They arrived just in time to see the first one go up in the sky and explode in a multitude of colors under the awed eyes of the little girl.

"Mama!" she heard herself call out excitedly, "did you see it?"

The woman nodded. "I did." she replied happily.

"Look, look! Another one!" Erina exclaimed in glee as another firework flew high in the sky before painting the sky with a delicate purple color. Looking back at her mother, Erina plunged into her darker purple eyes and saw her own reflection in it as her mother smiled affectionately at her, as if telling her that she was her own little firework, illuminating the sky of her life.

Erina closed her eyes for a second but when she reopened them, the woman and the beach were nowhere to be seen. Instead of dark purple eyes, she fell into two deep golden pools, just a few inches away from her face.

Erina blinked once. Then twice.

They were still there, unmoving and analyzing her every movement.

"Wha-" Erina started as she shot up and crawled away from them in surprise and shock. "Yukihira-kun!" she let out as she discovered his spiky red hair and serene face.

The lad grinned in response, as if happy by her reaction, before standing up from his crouched position beside the bed and taking a seat next to her on the bed.

"Yo." he greeted as if he hadn't just been staring at her for who knew how long.

Erina stared at him in disbelief for a while longer before shaking her head in resignation. She really didn't know why she still expected some normal behavior from him after all this time...this guy clearly wasn't normal at all.

Erina just sighed before lifting her head and inspecting her surroundings. Even if the decoration was still grandiose, it clearly wasn't her bed - or even her room for that matter. Bringing her hand to her head she tightly closed her eyes as she tried to remember just where she was and how she arrived there.

The last thing that she recalled was entering into the black limo and setting up next to Yukihira-kun. After that, it was kinda blurry...she must have nodded off at some point. It wasn't that surprising since she didn't have much sleep the night before, too preoccupied by Alice's possible schemes.

 _Hmm..._

So this probably was the villa they were heading to. It was familiar to her...not only as a Nakiri property but as a place she had been in before...actually, it had the same feeling than the place in her apparently dream had.

"Erina?"

Coming out of her thoughts, Erina focused back on her surroundings and on the red-haired teen who was staring at her from where he was seating on the edge of her bed. Then, something occurred to her and her eyebrows furrowed in discontentment.

"Why are you calling me by my first name? I don't recall allowing you to do so." Erina stated as she now noticed that that was all he'd been calling her that really often these days...

"Hmm? Because I feel like it." Sōma replied as if this was the most natural thing in the world. "Plus, Alice has been saying that calling you both Nakiri can be confusing for her sometimes."

 _She has a point..._ Erina thought even if she wasn't satisfied with that answer.

"You can call me Sōma if you want to." the redhead added with a grin and Erina could only stare at him in wonder.

This guy was a real piece of work. If she had wanted to, she would have done it ages ago...even if it had bothered her when Tadokoro-san had called him by name, that didn't mean that she actually wanted to do it as well...probably.

"Ah, that's right! Dinner is ready." Sōma said as if only now remembering about it, but not making any move to get up.

Erina blinked at him before shouting "Say that before! Idiot!"

"Sorry, sorry." he apologized, completely unrepentant. "Actually, that's why I came up in the first place, to call you for dinner, but then I saw you sleeping and I wondered if I should wake you up or not." he explained as he got up from the bed. "Though you ending up waking up on your own. Anyway, let's go." he finished with a small grin.

Erina stared at Yukihira some more before sighing and getting off the bed. Then, putting some shoes on, she joined him as they both started their way down to the dining hall.

* * *

The sound of the door clicking shut behind Sōma filled the room and he curiously looked around. He hadn't had the time to really look around before since he had decided to take a look around the villa instead. He certainly didn't regret it since he had discovered some great places back there...he'd probably go there again later.

For now, he had a room to explore!

...actually it looked a lot like what he had seen in Erina's room. The furniture was just as grandiose though its disposition was reversed and the colors used were a bit darker than hers had been. Erina's was in shades of pink while his was in shades of red.

There were three doors in that room, two on the wall in front of him and one on the wall he had in common with Erina. Walking towards the first one opposite to Erina's room, he opened the door and discovered a grand Victorian bathroom. A whistle escaped his lips as he admired the facilities.

Just above the furniture which middle shelves bore towels, were three grand mirrors who easily took almost all of the wilderness of the wall. A large sophisticated window let some of the sunset light enter and fall upon the big bathtub just under it. It was probably really relaxing to have that forest view when soaking in the water. Facing the mirrors was a space reserved for showers with a high shower head fixed on the wall. Under it were spaces where you could put soaps and such. The shower formed half an ellipse and you could sit in a corner of it on a stair-like chair embedded in the wall.

Walking out of the bathroom, he then opened the door next to it and discovered the toilets and a intricately designed lavatory just under yet another mirror.

Exiting the room, Sōma then made his way towards the last door. Turning the knob, he swiftly opened and was surprised to find Erina's room behind it. He glanced at his own room then at the room in front of his eyes. He carefully stepped into it and looked around a bit. The heiress was nowhere to be seen and he could hear the shower running so he guessed she was in the bathroom, taking a bath. Looking a bit more, he spotted her shoes lying next to the main door.

There was no doubt about it, this was definitely the girl's room.

A sudden gush of wind had him closing his eyes to protect them from the wind. When he opened them again, he noticed the opened window just behind the nightstand and he would have closed it but he remembered that this wasn't his room. He probably shouldn't even have been in there, especially since she was in the bathroom.

Sōma was about to go back to his own room when he spotted a notebook lying on the floor not too far from the nightstand. He approached to pick it up and just as he did, a paper fell down from it. He bent down once more to pick it up as well and straightened up as he opened the notebook to put it back in. However, just as he was placing it back inside, he caught a glimpse of said paper and stopped his movement. This was thicker than normal paper and seemed to have something printed on it.

Perplexed, he turned it around and just as his eyes fell on it, he froze.

There, looking at him was the smiling face of his father and a young Erina shyly standing next to him. Judging from their faces, it must have been taken approximately ten years ago...at the Nakiri residence if the background was anything to go by. He faintly recalled seeing it in their Tötsuki mansion at some point.

Erina had been blushing...with an expression that he had yet to see on her face. It seemed to be a mix of embarrassment and joy, like she was immensely pleased yet timid about it. He could only come to the conclusion that it must have been his father who had elicited those emotions in her, and, for some reason, he felt his stomach twisting at the thought.

Just what was this feeling...? And why did she have that picture to begin with? He had never heard his father mention the Nakiris before...then again, he knew next to nothing about that man he called father.

A sad smile made its way to Sōma's lips as a complicated expression took over his features, unable to completely convey his current emotions.

The sound of something dropping to the ground echoed into the room, breaking the moment.

Golden eyes slid towards its origin and discovered a fallen comb at the feet of a shower robe enveloped Erina before falling into shocked twin amethyst orbs.

"Yukihira-kun!" the blonde exclaimed as she stared in him in incredulity, her tone expressing all the surprise she was feeling at discovering him in her room.

Sōma didn't even blink as he continued to stare at her wordlessly.

"What are you doing in here?" Erina started angrily as she scowled at him, "You can't just come in as you please!" she added as she looked him over.

She was about to say something else but the words just died on her tongue the moment her eyes fell on his hands and what he was holding in them. Her eyes widened immensely before she rushed over him and snatched the photograph and notebook from his hands with a wary expression.

"...Did you see it?" she asked as she looked at him guardedly.

Erina waited for an answer but it never came and she wondered why she had asked in the first place since it was obvious that he had...but he could have answered anyway! Just what was up with this guy?

First, he intruded into her room without even asking and then he looked at her stuff without being allowed to and now, he was just quietly standing there with that unreadable expression of his face!

Erina stopped to try to read him but she couldn't and her anger somehow fell when her eyes plunged into his. She couldn't put a name on half of the emotions she saw in them and the serious air that he had around him was more than intriguing.

"...Yukihira-kun?" she tried again and this time, his lips parted and she kept silent to be able to hear whatever he was about to say.

"...why..." he started, his voice just above a whisper, "...why do you have that picture?"

The wind carried Sōma's voice around the room and Erina could only stare at him in surprise. She hadn't expected him to say that. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting but she was sure that this wasn't it.

A gentle breeze blew upon them, making the silence more bearable, filling it with its quiet murmur. After a while, Erina finally broke the silence.

"Why you say..." she whispered as if contemplating her answer before she realized something and her irritation came back. "Why do I have to answer that?! You shouldn't have seen it to begin with!" Erina exclaimed as she carefully tucked it in her notebook and swiftly stored it away in the nightstand's drawer.

But Sōma didn't even seem to have heard her, or if he had, he completely ignored it in favor of asking his next question.

"When did you meet my father?" he asked a little louder this time, and Erina's brain froze in shock.

Slowly, really slowly, she turned around until her gaze fell into his eyes and she could only stare, unable to come up with an answer immediately, her brain being empty of any thought except for those two last words that kept ringing into her ears, endless echo that the wind carried as it flowed inside the room.

After what seemed like an eternity, Erina's lips gradually parted and two words slowly fell from them.

"...your...father...?"

* * *

 _Here :_ _ojou =_ lady _; yosh =_ alright _; aa =_ yes

… _I warned you, I didn't know how to end it ^^' It could have been much much longer if not cut there…hope you enjoyed it anyway?_

 _Anyway, time to answer to the guest reviews:_

 **Harmonia Freak:** Thanks to you for taking the time to read this fiction and to share your thoughts with me :) And sorry for the long wait :( Hope it was worth it? If not, that week is only starting so hopefully, it'll be better next time ;)

 **Slowx:** Wow O.O That must have taken some time… I'm happy to know that you enjoyed it ^^ Thanks for telling me :D

 **Guest** (1): Here it is :) Hope the wait was worth it?

 **Formula8:** Hey :) Well, it can't be to everybody's taste I guess. I still have a lot more to learn as an author so maybe I can indeed do better. Thanks for giving this story a chance and for honestly telling me what you thought about it. :)

 **Atsuko:** You're welcome ^^And I'm really really happy to know what you thought about while reading it :D x) I like to give a lot of details so I'm glad you liked it that much ^^ Ah yes, I used bike to refer to his motorcycle actually ^^' He got one in the manga so well lol. I guess it would have been even more romantic with a bicycle…hmm. But in a giganstic school like Totsuki, the faster, the better ;) Yeah, it'd be bad if he did… ...I'm so sorry for the long wait! ;( I had lots of trouble with this chap :( Hope it was worth it at least… Thank you for reviewing :) Mata na! ;D

 **Guest** (2): Happy to know you're enjoying it ^^ Thanks for telling me :D x)

 **Gokai Red:** Glad you enjoyed it ^^ Oh, you can rant anytime XD It'll be my pleasure to read whatever it is you have to say :D I learned a lot ^^ Thanks for telling me :D I would indeed be great if they could reach the point where Erina relies on Soma that much *o* And hopefully, we'll reach it soon! :D ;) Hmm, well I had this in mind actually XD Even if Megumi will butt in later ;D Thanks for your review :D ^^

 **Guest** (3): I'm happy to hear that :D x) …the soon turned out to be rather long :( Sorry about that ;( I hope the wait wasn't in vain? Thanks for reviewing :)

 **Guest** (4): I would have loved to update faster but sadly, I couldn't for the reasons I mentioned above. :/ At last, it's finally here. Hope you enjoyed?

 **Guest** (5): Here it is :) Long overdue but here anyway.

 **Guest** (6): I'm sorry for the long wait. :( Sadly I can't give dates for releases since if I do but don't update on said date, it'll be all the more disappointing… :/ Though, those days, it seems like I take at least two to three weeks to write a full chapter. On another note, were those Sorina moments satisfying? x) Thanks for reviewing :D

 **GangstaQ:** I know you were…and I'm sorry that I couldn't release it any faster :( But at last, here it is :)

 _Thanks to the registered reviewers as well_ _ **raydark182**_ _,_ _ **WriterMushroom**_ _,_ _ **FirstStory**_ _,_ _ **yeekit000**_ _,_ _ **LoveGlutton**_ _,_ _ **evolvelove**_ _,_ _ **GraphiicChaos**_ _,_ _ **nagitochris**_ _,_ _ **Hashtagnalu2021**_ _,_ _ **Eramis8**_ _,_ _ **JeGosu**_ _,_ _ **Skytte**_ _,_ _ **Keysone**_ _,_ _ **PantherSeraphin**_ _-sama,_ _ **silentworld94**_ _,_ _ **madeyemoody95**_ _,_ _ **Gallian Squad 7**_ _,_ _ **HiragoSaito16**_ _,_ _ **MasterE.N.D**_ _,_ _ **Mariafe727**_ _,_ _ **Hinate**_ _and_ _ **HelL4DAluCarD**_ _:D_

 _Till next time :) Ja ne_


	21. Blue flames

_Hello guys ^^_

 _This chap is super long too because it just didn't want to end and because well, there are lots of characters to talk about now XD So it took some time ^^'_

 _Thanks for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing :D_

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own SnS

* * *

 **Chapter 21: Blue flames**

* * *

The wind blew through their hair as Erina stared into Sōma's eyes, unperturbed by the sudden breeze.

"Saiba-sama is...your father?" Erina asked again quietly as shock filled her entire being.

Sōma's left eye twitched in response as his brain processed the inquiry. _Sama...? What's with that?_ "Saiba Jōichirō is indeed my dad." he said in a clipped tone and Erina could do nothing but stare. This simply was too much for her to process in such a short time.

Her idol, her model, her aspiration just turned out to be her nemesis and current pretend boyfriend's father. How was that even possible? Her idol...Yukihira-kun's father...Saiba-sama...was Yukihira Sōma's father...Saiba-sama...Yukihira...Saiba?

"Wait a second, why don't you have the same surname?" Erina inquired warily. Maybe this was just an elaborated joke after all.

"Well, I don't really know the circumstances but he decided to go under my mom's surname when they married." Sōma explained as he tried to reminisce about that certain fact. He hadn't even known about his original surname before going to Tōtsuki...he really didn't know anything about that man...

Erina's hopes shattered with his answer and her thoughts started to spin in circles once again. So he really was her idol's son...then that meant...

Every single mean thing that she had done or thought about him came back to mind as she realized that it was Saiba-sama's son she had done them to. After that, every recent happening with that whole pretense thing came back to mind and her face started to burn up. She had wished for him to disappear so many times...and they had done some intimate things together...like holding hands, kisses here and there...and all the arguments...and...

 _ **POOF**_

Smoke escaped from Erina's head as her eyes started to spin at an amazing speed. Her brain hadn't been able to withstand all that information and it had ended up leaving the boat before sinking with it as Erina began to lose consciousness.

The second Sōma saw Erina starting to fall, all the previous discussion was forgotten and before he knew it, he had rushed to her side and had caught her before her body could touch the ground.

"Erina?!" he called out worryingly but the blonde didn't even react to his voice nor to his shaking her. Sōma hastily checked her breath and heaved a sigh of relief.

After a while, Sōma let his gaze rest of the unconscious girl in his arms and lifted his right hand to her face to push a strand of hair away from her face and behind her ear.

As he watched her breath in and out, a conflicted expression made its way to his face as a complicated smile stretched his lips.

"Just what are you doing to me...?" he asked quietly and the wind of the night carried his voice away.

* * *

A loud gasp resounded in the night as Erina shot up in a seated position. She started panting, completely out of breath as she stared into the moonlit darkness of her room.

After a while, she calmed down and looked at her right where Sōma had last been seen, fully expecting to see him standing there but to her surprise, she found nothing but air in his place.

"It-it was a dream...?" Erina murmured as she let herself drop back into her bed sheets.

"Hum, no, it actually happened." a masculine voice coming from her left replied.

Erina inhaled sharply and immediately looked to her left only to fall into the golden eyes of Yukihira Sōma.

A small shriek escaped her lips as she hurriedly scooted away from him while he imperturbably looked at her.

Wide purple eyes stared into veiled golden ones for a long moment before the heiress broke the silence.

"Wha-what are you doing here?"

This time, Sōma actually seemed to register the question and opened his mouth to speak.

"Nothing. I was just waiting for you to wake up. Now that you have, I'll be taking my leave." Sōma answered in a voice devoid of emotions as he stood up and started his way to the door connecting their two rooms.

Erina's eyes widened even more in surprise as she watched him do so. "Wha- wait!" she exclaimed to keep him from leaving but it was useless and a few seconds later, the sound of the door clicking shut behind him resounded in the stillness of her room that even the breeze was now afraid to disturb.

* * *

Sōma turned the knob of the bathroom door and entered the room listlessly. It was still as beautiful as it had been earlier but somehow, it had lost all its charm to him...or maybe it was only because he just wasn't in the mood to admire it anymore.

Sighing, he let his clothes drop at his feet as he made his way to bathtub, turning the faucet and allowing the water to slowly fill it before heading to the shower case. Turning on the water, he scrubbed himself clean and let the warm liquid run over him for a while. Feeling it flowing all over his face and being felt incredibly good and was doing wonders in clearing his clouded mind. He hadn't really been able to think straight ever since he had seen that picture.

His hands turned into fists at the thought and he decided that it was enough. The bathtub was probably almost full by now anyway.

Indeed, when he approached the bath, it was full enough so he stopped the water and immediately entered it, completely immersing himself in the warm water for a while before emerging and using a hand to push back his wet red bangs from his face.

Then, propping his elbows on the bathtub edges, he sighed, letting the tension in his muscles disappear in the water.

As he relaxed in his bath, the recent event's memories came back to mind and he let them wander, deciding that now was as good a time as any to ponder over it.

To say that he had been surprised to discover that picture would be the understatement of the century. Well, he had been aware that his father had come into contact with the Nakiri family when he'd been a student there at some point but to think he had met Erina as well - now that he thought about it, didn't that mean that he had come back to Tōtsuki after leaving it? Did he keep in touch with the director ? On that picture, he had been wearing a chef's outfit. Did he have business as a chef with him? And even if he did, that didn't explain why he had taken a picture with Erina...

From the looks of it, it seemed like she had been the one to want it and he knew for a fact that his father rarely refused to take one with someone so it probably had been that way. The heiress had probably asked for one as a reminder...the question was why? Why had the the girl felt the need to have that picture taken? If he had to guess, there wasn't a lot of possibilities...and for some reason none of them made him happy. The first one, and the more logical one, was that she had enjoyed his cooking so much that she had asked for it. The second one was - actually, he couldn't really think about a second reason. Or maybe he could but it made no sense, like her crushing on his father or something like that. That just couldn't be, right? Right.

...but if it really couldn't be like that, why had she snatched it away from his hands like that? It wouldn't matter that he saw it or not if it had no special meaning right? And why did it make him feel like that? Like he had something stuck in his throat and a weight on his stomach? Just what was this feeling...? Just why was the thought of Nakiri possibly having a crush on his father bothering him so much?

The more Sōma thought about it, the more confused he was and so he decided not to think at all and simply enjoyed his bath for a while more before exiting and putting on some clothes for the night and heading to bed.

* * *

"Good morning."

Everyone around the table lifted up towards the entrance to see the blonde heiress walking inside the dinner room before replying with their own greeting - or rather, almost everyone. There was only one that didn't and to their great surprise it turned out to be her red-haired boyfriend who quietly continued munching on his food.

They were currently eating breakfast which consisted of delicacies from the Occidental cooking world. They had wanted to wait for everyone to arrive at first but when after fifty minutes the heiress still wasn't there, they had just gave in and started without her. She didn't seem to mind so they guessed it was alright.

As Erina sat down between her boyfriend and her aide on the chair that they had saved for her, something felt off. Sōma barely looked at her and nodded before resuming eating without a single word. Actually, something had been off ever since he came down that morning. The reason they all felt that way was because the lad had been unusually quiet. He had only mumbled a quiet greeting when he had appeared but after that, nothing. That was making his dorm mates worry a little since they knew that he always was very talkative, even after waking up. The Polar Star residents exchanged a meaningful look before deciding to let him be for now and nodding in silent agreement.

However, while most of them went back to their food and engaged in a conversation with others, Megumi's eyes remained fixed on the redhead. There definitely was something wrong with him. She had never seen him that quiet before, not even when they were fighting because of her a few days ago. She had heard about it from other students who had assisted to the scene in the school hallways after class. She still felt bad about it from time to time but since they had made up afterwards, it had lightened her conscience a bit.

But now, somehow, it seemed like something else had happened between the two if the tense air around them was any indication...that and the weird glances Nakiri-san threw Sōma-kun's way from time to time.

Megumi's golden eyes fell onto her plate as she pondered over the events. Just what could have happened between yesterday night and now? They had seemed to be completely normal during dinner...

 _ ***Flashback***_

 _"Finally! How long does it take to call someone for dinner?" Alice asked as she threw a 'What took you so long?' look at Sōma as he made his way to his chair with Erina on tow._

 _"Sorry, sorry." he replied with an apologetic smile, "She was still sleeping so I was wondering if I should wake her up or not when she did." he explained just as the blonde took place beside him._

 _"Sorry for making you wait." Erina said as she nodded at everyone._

 _"You really slept a lot." Alice commented as they began to fill their plates. "Were you that tired?" she asked as she threw a curious look at her cousin who sent her a strong glare back which seemed to say 'And just whose fault do you think it is?'._

 _If Alice got that, she completely ignored it and continued to mess with her cousin. "Oh..." she said with mirth dancing in her eyes, "Were you too excited to spend the whole break with your boyfriend to sleep?" she asked in a teasing voice._

 _Erina's expression darkened in irritation as blood rushed to her face. It was clear to any onlooker that the white-haired teen was seriously getting on her nerves and it seemed like the blonde would snap any moment now._

 _Any sane person would have stopped there and prayed for her anger to fall but Nakiri Alice was anything but sane it seemed since she actually continued on her tirade._

 _"But it's good that you were sleeping actually."_

 _That earned her a confused look from her cousin and she developed her thought._

 _"Well, if you hadn't been sleeping,_ that _wouldn't have happened." Alice explained with a grin as she shoved her phone up to Erina's face._

 _Erina took it in her hands and looked at it for a while before her blush was back full force. "Wha-what is this?! When did that happen?" she asked, embarrassed._

 _"Hmm?" Sōma got closer to 'his girl' and peeked at the phone to discover just what has elicited this reaction from the blonde. Upon seeing the picture, he relaxed and said "Oh that!"_

 _On the phone screen, you could see Erina's head resting on Sōma's shoulder as the girl slept peacefully._

 _"Your head fell on my shoulder when we hit a bump on the road and since you were sleeping so soundly, we just let it be." Sōma explained with a grin._

 _Every occupant of the table was reminded of that particular moment which made some flush at the reminder since it was actually rather intimate to sleep on the other's shoulder._

 _Erina herself blushed a little more before wordlessly extending the phone back to her cousin without looking at anyone, looking pretty much like the girl in love embarrassed at having been caught in the act that she ought to be._

 _It could have ended there if Alice had just taken her phone back and continued to eat. However, it seemed like the white-haired girl had other plans in mind._

 _"Oh, don't give it back already! You didn't even see the best one yet!" she exclaimed joyously and a shiver ran up Erina's spine as her eyes widened a bit. This couldn't be good..._

 _Warily, she brought the phone back before her eyes and slid her thumb on the screen to see the next picture._

 _All of those who previously thought that Erina's face couldn't get any redder were proven wrong as the girl's face turned completely crimson up to her neckline as she discovered her innocent sleeping self being carried by Yukihira-kun in a princess hold as the lad looked at her._

 _"You were so cute together as he carried you in his arms that I couldn't help but take a picture. It would have been a shame for you not to see it after all." Alice commented as she finally took the phone away from Erina's now trembling hands. Whoever said that ignorance was bliss had been a really wise man and Erina just didn't know where to look anymore in her mortification and had settled for looking down at her plate once again._

 _The Polar Star girls and Ikumi who had seen the scene and Hisako who had been making some important calls at the moment blushed a little at the mention of it while Houjou who couldn't care less about something like that quietly continued to eat while the boys - except Kurokiba-kun - only looked curiously at the two lovebirds._

 _"Ah, there was that too." Sōma confirmed before taking another bite from his food. After masticating and swallowing, he added with a serious expression, "You're heavier than you look."_

 _Erina's eyes immediately widened in response as she looked at him in shock along with the other occupants of the room. A silence fell onto all of them as they stared at the redhead either in surprise or shock, not daring to say anything._

 _Unable to find anything to say back in front of all those people watching them, Erina's face colored itself with discontentment and embarrassment before she shot up and turned to leave without a word._

 _That got a reaction out of Sōma._

 _"Hey! Don't get mad! I was trying to lighten the mood?" he tried as he abandoned his plate in favor of chasing after the heiresss and preventing her to leave. "You barely touched your food anyway, won't you eat a little? I'm sure you're hungry." he added as he grabbed her wrist._

 _Erina stopped in her tracks to send him a mighty glare. "You should have thought about that before! And I'm not that hungry anyway." she hissed stubbornly._

 _"Come on! I mean, it's not as if you weighed 100 pounds, it just surprised me a bit but you're not that heavy either." Sōma said, trying to coax her into coming back._

 _Erina only slapped his arm in response with elicited an "Ouch!" from the redhead and a satisfied smirk from Erina._

 _"Why did you hit me?" Sōma asked in surprise._

 _Erina's smirk only widened at his question as she simply answered "Because I wanted to."_

 _As Megumi watched the two bicker some feet away from the table, the only thing that she could think about was that they were a perfect example of bickering lovers and somehow, this realization hurt more than she thought it would. It's not as if she hadn't known that they were together beforehand but actually being a direct witness of their obvious display of affection, it just became so...real. When those were only words, she could still have that little hope that they weren't that serious about each other and that she would have her chance but now..._

 _Well, she had seen the possessiveness that the heiress had previously displayed towards her red-haired friend but it could have been faked, right?_

 _...just who was she trying to fool? It was obvious that the two cared a whole lot about each other and this being the way it was, she had absolutely no space to slide in..._

 _Megumi's eyes trailed on them for a while longer until Sōma put his right arm around Erina's shoulders, still trying to get her to get back to the table. The sound of something cracking resounded in her ears and Megumi's gaze rapidly fell back onto her plate._

 _She shouldn't be watching them anyway...it only made it hurt more than it should._

 _ ***End of flashback***_

"-mi! ...gumi!"

 _Eh?_

"Megumi!"

"Hai!" Megumi exclaimed as she straightened, stiffening in her seat as her eyes flew upwards. Upon seeing everyone's surprised gaze resting on her, blood rushed to her face and Megumi could feel her face heating up in embarrassment.

Her gaze was already starting to fall back down on her plate in shame when she heard her name being called once again.

"Megumi!"

Lifting her eyes back up and to her left, she discovered an impatient Yūki looking at her with a 'Finally!' glint in her turquoise eyes. Her face heated up some more as she gave her her full attention.

"We were talking about going to the beach today and everyone already said they were okay with it. Is it okay with you too?" Yūki asked, expectantly staring at her,

"Y-yes! It's okay with me as well." Megumi stuttered while silently wishing for them to stop staring at her already.

"Then it's decided!" Alice joyfully exclaimed and Megumi's attention flew to her. "Let's meet in the hall fifteen minutes after breakfast then." she proposed and everyone agreed before resuming their chatting and eating.

Well, almost everyone did. Sōma stayed quiet and silently finished his plate before excusing himself from the table and making his way upstairs.

Something was definitely wrong with him.

* * *

The sound of the mattress adjusting to the newly weight added to it could be hear as Sōma let himself fall back on his queen-sized bed. Acting normal had turned out to be impossible that morning since he just couldn't stop thinking about that picture. He still wondered why she had it with her, exactly when it was taken and just why she had felt the need to have it taken. It obviously wasn't just a picture since she seemed to carry it along when she was traveling as well...exactly what were her feelings towards his father?

His eyebrows furrowed in frustration as Sōma stared at the grand ceiling.

Just why did that seem to matter so much to him anyway? She could be crushing on anyone she liked, right? It wasn't like him to be bothered by something like that...

Sōma brought his right forearm over his eyes and closed them, using the resulting darkness to clear his mind of all those unnecessary thoughts.

He was in the middle of it when he heard faint voices coming from the hallway, just in front of his door. Cracking an eye open, he surveyed the door and sure enough, a knock resounded against his door soon followed by a faint shriek.

Sitting up, he schooled his expression before saying "Come in." while wondering just who could be behind the door. Was it _her_? He wouldn't have put it past her cousin to force her to go and check on him since he was her 'boyfriend' and all...

A few seconds later, a glimpse of blue hair entered his vision telling him that he had been wrong, soon followed by their nervous owner.

 _Tadokoro..._

The girl slowly stepped in without closing the door and he could see a glimpse of orange and violet hair.

 _Yoshino and Sakaki huh?_

He should have expected that. He had been a bit out of it that morning after all...

"Hum..." Tadokoro's voice brought him out of his thoughts and he focused on the fidgeting girl standing in front of him. "Is everything alright?" she asked as she gave him an hesitant glance.

Sōma blinked twice before pasting a small sheepish grin on his face.

"Ah, yeah, it's nothing." he started with a small laugh, "I just had a bit of a hard morning." he briefly explained, letting his gaze slid on the wall and resting on the clock hanging on the wall. "I'm fine, don't worry about me." he reassured once again before changing the subject. "That said, We should be getting ready for the beach now. It won't be long before we have to meet with the others downstairs."

"Ah! That's right!" Tadokoro exclaimed, glancing at the clock as well. "Then, excuse me!" she added with a bow before hurriedly leaving the room, closing the door behind her and leaving Sōma alone once again.

 _That's right, I can't make them worry about me like that..._ Sōma thought with a small smile.

Standing up, he made his way to his closet and started to look for his swimsuit. He had to get over it. Plus, he kinda wanted to hear about how Erina met with his father...maybe he'd learn a little more about him like that - even if a part of him just refused to know anything more about that...

* * *

"Woah!" Yūki exclaimed excitedly as she looked all around her, taking in as much as the view as her eyes could.

The beach was truly beautiful. The sea was unbelievably blue in contrast with the sand and its pearly white color. A little farther, she could see multiple groups of people either enjoying the sea water, walking along the shore, playing beach volleyball or just lying on their towel. There seemed to be some vendors as well with some food shops here and there.

Yūki wasted no time in going to explore the beach and the others soon followed behind her, looking for a spot they could get for their group to settle down.

"Okay!" Takumi exclaimed energetically, "I'm gonna find a better spot than you, Yukihi-" he started, pointing his index towards Yukihira but cut himself off when he saw Sōma and the others put down their bag on the shadowy spot provided by some surrounding coconut trees.

"Hmm? You said something Takumi?" Sōma asked, oblivious to what had just transpired.

Takumi's face heated up in embarrassment and Isami started to laugh at his brother's failed attempt to challenge the redhead, earning a small "Shut up." from said brother.

Evading Sōma's gaze, Takumi walked up to them and put down his own bag while muttering a small "Nothing" in shame.

Sōma only shrugged as he took out his towel and laid it down on the sand before taking off his opened shirt, and letting it fall on his towel, exposing his toned body to the onlookers.

To say that they hadn't attracted any attention when they had arrived would be the lie of the century. Every single person present on this beach had at least glanced at their group twice. No surprise there since it was mostly formed by hot guys (Isami was currently in his thin form) and unbelievably cute girls. Add to that the facts that the guys only had open shirts with their shorts and that the girls either wore sweatshirts, summer dresses or nothing but shorts over their swimsuits (Ikumi) and you had people stopping to admire them all over the beach, some even dropping whatever they had in their hands at the sight.

However, most of them remained completely oblivious to the sudden attention or simply couldn't bring themselves to care about it and just ignored it which is why they were acting as normal as they usually would.

"Mou, Erina!" Alice's voice arrived to his ears and he lifted his head towards the direction it had come from. Alice was standing in front of her cousin (he supposed since she was hiding her from view) a few feet away from him, already in her white and red bikini while Erina had yet to take off her cover. "Take that sweater off already!" Alice exclaimed in an exasperated voice.

She waited for a second or two but when Erina made no movement to actually take it off herself, she lost her patience and grabbed the zipper.

"Or do you need some help?" Alice asked, already beginning to pull it down without waiting for a reply.

Erina's hands shot up to stop her as she blushed a little. "Stop it, Alice!" she complained in embarrassment. As the last time she had gone to a public pool, she was feeling a little conscious over exposing her body to people like that.

"Milady Alice!" Hisako called out, coming to rescue her mistress. "Stop looking down on Erina-sama!" she said as her own hand joined the ones struggling over the zipper. "She can take it off herself!" she reprimanded and Alice retracted her hand before pouting.

"Fine!" Alice conceded after staring into Hisako's eyes for a while before making her way to Ryō who had her belongings and asking him her sunscreen block. "Can you put some on my back?" she asked him as she turned around and presented him with her back.

Left with no other choice, Ryō sighed and diligently started to spread the cream over her back in silence while Alice did the same for her front.

"You want some too Erina?" Alice asked, looking up to her cousin who had finally opened her sweatshirt and was beginning to get it off.

"Hmm okay." Erina replied and was about to step towards Alice when Hisako stopped her.

"Ah! Actually, I have taken the liberty to bring some for Erina-sama but thank you for your concern Milady Alice." Hisako stated with a smile to which Alice responded with a nod before resuming her activity.

Turning towards Hisako, Erina extended her hand to receive some cream and started spreading it over her front like she had seen her cousin of before, leaving her back to her dedicated aide.

Meanwhile, Ikumi finished settling down between the Aldini twins and the Polar Star girls and stood back up after taking off her shorts. She had chosen a simple white bikini this time which was contrasting against her dark skin. Feeling a stare resting on her, she turned to her right only to discover a frowning pouty teary-eyed Yūki who seemed to be glaring at her voluminous chest.

Lifting her shades, Ikumi gave her a slightly confused look before glancing at Yūki's own chest and snorting shortly as realization hit her.

"Don't worry, they can still grow." Ikumi smirked as she let her sunglasses fall back on her nose.

Yūki scowled at her before humphing and turning her face away from the dark-skinned blonde which earned her an amused chuckle from said blonde and a sweat drop from Ryōko who had followed the incident.

"Ryōko! Let's go look around the beach!" Yūki exclaimed in frustration as she quickly got up herself, completely ignoring Ikumi's "Oh, I had planned to do that as well."

"Oh, okay." Ryōko uncomfortably agreed before straightening up herself and turning to her right to look at Megumi. "You're coming too, Megumi?"

Megumi threw her a panicky look as she glanced at the Chinese girl crouching next to her, digging some things from her bad. Noticing her worry and correctly interpreting it, Miyoko spoke up. "You don't need to worry about leaving me alone, I'm just going to lie down a little." she simply said to which Megumi nodded in relief before standing up, keeping her summer dress and straw hat on as she made her way to her waiting companions.

Shun calmly watched Yūki's form disappear behind a group of people before letting his eyes slide back to his other side and onto his noisy companions.

A mere feet away from him, Daigo and Shoji were arguing about...something stupid and poor Marui had been stuck in the middle of the two and was presently unable to break free of them. He would have gone and helped him but the perspective of being stuck with him instead wasn't that rejoicing so he let the idea perish and decided to take a small nap instead.

Not too far from him, Hayama was about to do the same when sea water splashed on him. He froze for a second before slowly straightening up into a siting position and cracking his eyes open, revealing the annoyed glare which had been hidden under his eyelids.

The two recipients of this glare were without much surprise two uncomfortable-looking teenagers who were slowly backing away from the obviously upset Akira.

"Yukihira...! Aldini!" Akira shouted as a vein popped onto his temple before springing up and chasing after the two fleeing boys into the sea.

From where they were still standing, the Nakiri cousins only watched the boys fool around and briefly thought that they wouldn't have expected that from them...then again they were at the beach so well, better make the most of it. And after exchanging a brief glance, they both began to make their way to the sea with Hisako on their trail, leaving Ryō behind to watch over their belongings.

* * *

A drop of water landed on Erina's face and she groaned from her lying position, not inclined to get up any time soon but then, there was a second one, and a third. By the time the fourth one landed, Erina had cracked an eye open and was half-heartedly glaring up at her annoying cousin.

"Stop dripping on me already and go dry your hair." Erina grumbled before closing her eye again, fully expecting her to retreat.

Another drop told her that she should have known better and she reluctantly opened her eyes and propped up onto her elbows.

"What do you want?" she asked Alice in an irritated voice which made a satisfied grin appear on her cousin's joyous face.

All around them, their fellow classmates were happily chatting away without really paying any attention to the both of them, at least until Alice's next words.

"You said you were going to buy me an ice cream." Alice simply stated, attracting the attention of the others, and Erina stared at her in confusion.

"When did I even -"

...

 _"Mou~! You can't just take a nap! We're at the beach! Come play with me some more!" Alice complained as she tried to convince Erina to get up from her towel._

 _After playing for a while in the water, her tiredness had become worse than it already had been because her lack of sleep during the two previous nights. After the brief conversation she had had with Yukihira-kun the night before, her thoughts hadn't stopped to run into circles and sleep had fled away from her tired mind until the early morning. In the end, she hadn't slept much before it was time to get up again. And so, she had gone back to her towel, fully intent on lying down resting a little but Alice had been annoying her and she was looking for a way to make her go away._

 _"Come on, Erina! And we're gonna go get ice cream afterwards!" Alice tried again but Erina answered without even making a move._

 _"If you let me rest, I'll buy you that ice cream later, okay?" she had offered in her desperation._

 _"Erina!" Alice had tried again before humphing and straightening up. "Fine." she had finally said before leaving her alone._

 _..._

"Ah."

Alice grinned as she saw her cousin connect the dots in her mind. "You remember now?"

"...yeah." Erina confirmed half-heartedly as she unenthusiastically got up. "What flavor?" she asked as she looked for her wallet.

"Chocolate!"

Erina stopped searching and turned around. This wasn't Alice's voice. Glancing at her companions, she saw Sakaki-san scolding Yoshino-san and correctly concluded that it had been her voice, and if the looks that the others were giving her were anything to go by, then she wasn't the only one who wanted an ice cream.

She stared silently at the group before sighing and taking a notepad but Hisako beat her to it, having understood her mistress' intention and started to note which flavor everyone wanted. When Erina got the final list in her hands, she realized that she couldn't possibly take back all of those alone and sweat dropped.

Apparently, she had voiced her thoughts because Alice rapidly exclaimed "Yukihira-kun can help you with that!" while giving a 'Let those two go alone.' look at Hisako who sighed in defeat and sat back down.

The moment Sōma heard his name, he tensed and if you hadn't been looking at him at the time, you would have missed it as a resigned expression was on his face less than a second later.

"Fine by me." Sōma simply said before he stood up as well and put his shirt back on.

Erina's purple eyes widened at the perspective of spending some time with the redhead after the recent revelations and she was starting to protest when Alice joined her hands together and exclaimed "Then it's decided!", effectively cutting her off.

Erina hesitantly glanced at Sōma and bit her lip.

Sōma made his way to her and murmured "Let's go, Nakiri." to which Erina nodded before they both began their way to the ice cream vendor under the eyes of their companions who soon resumed their conversations. But a pair of yellow eyes was still trailing after the two.

Something was off. Sōma-kun's behavior...something was definitely off with it.

The blunette stared at their retreating back, deep in thought until cold water splashed against her face. She shrieked a little and spun around to discover the grinning face of a dripping wet Yūki who wasted no time in tackling the previously dry Megumi.

The tickling that this created was soon unbearable for Megumi who started to laugh, only managing to place some words in between her fits of laughter such as "Stop it" and "It tickles!" which went happily ignored by the energetic Yūki.

Laughter filled the air around them all and brought a smile on everyone's face which was a loud cry from the atmosphere currently surrounding our two lovebirds.

Ever since they had left the others, not a word had been spoken by either of them - actually, it almost seemed as if the redhead was completely ignoring his companion. He didn't even _try_ to get a conversation running between the two.

This vaguely reminded Erina of the time when he had been mad at her because of all the punishment thing. Only speaking when necessary while making sure to make the bare minimum to get their act running, that was exactly what it felt like right now as she quietly walked behind him, staring at his back without caring much about their surroundings.

So when Sōma stopped walking, she flew straight into his back.

"Ouch...!" Erina hissed as she lifted her hand to her now aching nose which she had just bumped into Sōma's firm back. "Why did you stop walking?" she asked in frustration as she looked up at him only to freeze in surprise.

There was a strongly irritated glint in his golden eyes but looking closely at him, she noticed that it wasn't directed at her. Sōma seemed to be glaring at the people surrounding them and she didn't get why. None of that was surprising since she had been so focused on Sōma that whole time and therefore missed the lusty stares she had been getting from the guys that she passed by.

Unfortunately for him, Sōma had caught said stares and found himself more and more irritated with them until he couldn't take it anymore and stopped to glare at them - which was when Erina had bumped into him.

Sending her a glance over his shoulders, it finally occurred to him that the blonde was wearing nothing but her bikini and suddenly, it all made a lot more sense.

Hmm...going back to fetch her sweatshirt wouldn't be that much of a good idea since they were already more than halfway there...which left him with only that choice.

Slipping out of his shirt, he put it over her shoulders, ignoring the surprised noises and slight flush it elicited from her.

"Wha-what are you doing -" Erina started but Sōma soon cut her off.

"Put it on." he murmured as he finally lifted his gaze and looked her straight in the eye for the first time that day.

Erina flushed a little more as she frowned in incomprehension. "Why should I? It's yours, keep it." she said while struggling to get it off her shoulders but Sōma maintained it firmly in place and gave her a 'Don't take it off.' look.

"The guys are giving you lewd looks." he eventually explained before retracting his hands and straightening up. "But if you don't want it, then fine, give it ba-"

"No!" a red-faced Erina immediately exclaimed before realizing what she had just done and looking away. "I'll keep it." she murmured quietly, suddenly self-conscious and finally noticing the looks that she was receiving.

Sōma nodded at her and pocketed his hands before turning around and resuming walking, only to freeze a few seconds later when Erina's arm shyly made its way into the crook of his elbow.

Sōma's golden gaze shifted from her arm to her face as he looked at her questioningly. Her face seemed to redden a bit more as she looked back straight into his eyes.

"What?" she asked poutingly, daring him to say anything back.

Golden clashed against purple for a moment before searching the smaller girl's eyes for the answer they seemed to be looking for.

After a while of that, Sōma closed his eyes and faced back ahead. "Nothing." he simply said before starting to walk again with the heiress clutching his arm.

That seemed to discourage some of the guys who whispered more or less discreetly things like _What's that...so she has a boyfriend?_ or _Che. And here I thought I'd make a move..._ and such. For some reason, most of Sōma's irritation vanished upon hearing those words and his mood lightened immensely.

Noticing his mood change, Erina stared at her companion in wonder. Just what had been the matter with him? He had suddenly been in a foul mood for no reason and now it was gone without explanation...or was it related to the gazes she had been receiving...?

Erina shook the thought out of her head (earning a glance of Sōma as she did so) and mentally scolded her brain for coming up with such absurd scenarios. It just couldn't be because that would mean - stop. It was ridiculous and there was no reason to go there.

"We're here." Sōma stated as he stopped walking.

"Huh?" Erina answered, stopping as well and slowly coming out of her thoughts to focus on her surroundings. "A convenience store?" she asked incredulously as she turned to look at him in surprise.

Sōma shrugged before simply replying "There's no way we can bring back that many ice creams in a single trip if we take them somewhere else."

Erina considered that fact for an instant and imagined herself carrying as many cones as she possibly could in her hands and the image she got was plainly ridiculous so she nodded at the lad before entering the store alongside him.

Taking out the list Hisako had written for her, Erina let go of Sōma and started to look around for the ice cream freezer. Having found it before her, Sōma called out to her and they both started to take out the chosen ice creams. They hesitated between cones and cups before going for cones and making their way to the counter.

Just as the cashier started to scan the cones, Erina took out her wallet and took out her credit card to pay for the ice creams.

But just as she did so the cashier said "Ah, I'm sorry, our card reader broke down this morning." That made Erina look up sharply with wide eyes in disbelief. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience." the woman apologized again.

"Seriously..." Erina muttered under her breath.

"You don't have any change?" Sōma asked as he looked over her shoulder.

"I don't know...I don't usually use it so I'm not sure..." Erina replied as she searched her wallet for bills or change.

"Eh...I can't say I'm very surprised to learn that." Sōma said in a half serious half teasing tone.

"Shut up." Erina hissed quietly as she sent him a small glare.

Sōma grinned in response and quietly waited for her to look for it. After a few seconds, he proposed "You know, I got some money too."

"Thanks but it's okay." Erina replied as she finally found some bills and extended it to the cashier who took it and looked for change while Sōma took the provided plastic bag and grinned at Erina who only gave him a halfhearted irritated look and put her change in her wallet.

A small sound attracted both their attention and they found themselves looking at the amused face of the cashier.

"Ah, sorry. I just thought how cute a couple you two were." the woman explained with a small smile.

Erina blushed in embarrassment and even Sōma flushed a little but it was gone as soon as it came only to be replaced by an unreadable expression and a small smile as he answered "It's okay." before turning towards Erina.

"Let's go."

Erina only nodded in response before quietly following him outside without really looking at him. Was that how people saw them - well, that was what they were after but still...it felt kinda embarrassing to have people pointing out how couple-like they looked.

Erina's thought process was abruptly cut off by the warm thing that wrapped around her hand. She instantly identified it as Sōma's hand as this wasn't the first time they held hand but was surprised by the action anyway and her gaze flew up to him only to discover that he wasn't actually looking at her.

Sōma was staring into the distance and she was immediately reminded of the stares she had received on the way there as she squeezed his hand a little, earning a brief glance from Sōma who kept walking without a word.

However after a short while, Sōma spoke.

"...what is my father to you?" he asked so quietly that she would have missed it if there had been loud noises around them.

Fortunately, there weren't any at that moment and she heard it loud and clear. However, she didn't really know how to answer that- or if she'd answer at all for that matter and so silence stretched between them until Sōma spoke again.

"...how did you meet?"

Erina was about to respond that she had no obligation to answer that but the words died on her tongue when she saw the eyes of Sōma who had stopped in his tracks to glance at her over his shoulder. There was just...something in his eyes that told her that her answer was really important to him and so she closed her mouth and took a deep breath as they stood on the beach.

Reopening her eyes, she looked deep into his and spoke.

"I understand. I'll answer that but let's take these ice creams back first otherwise they might melt." Erina said with sincerity and after staring into her eyes for a few seconds, Sōma nodded and resumed walking, still holding her hand.

They made their way back in silence and after a few minutes, they finally reached their group. They were received by a mildly impatient Alice.

"What took you so long?" the white-haired girl asked as she sat up on her towel and lifted her sunglasses to look at them only to smirk satisfactorily at the sight that greeted her.

The two teenagers were steadily making their way towards them, hand in hand as if that was the most natural thing in the world, Sōma carrying the bag and Erina now adorning Sōma's shirt over her swimsuit.

Quickly connecting the dots, her smirk widened and she placed her shades back onto her nose. Alice wasn't the only one to notice that and two of the others avoided their eyes from the scene. The first one aka Megumi simply closed them, wishing that she hadn't had her hopes crushed once again while the second one namely Ikumi glared at nothing, wondering just why Erina-sama _had_ to get with Yukihira.

When Ikumi had first heard about that rumor, she hadn't wanted to believe it. Like, seriously, what were the chances that Erina-sama who only longed after Yukihira's expulsion had actually started to date him? It's true that some say that there's a thin line between hate and love but still...at least, that's what she tried to tell herself until she actually saw them together on Tuesday. They had been so obviously happy to be with the other that you would have had to be blind to not see that they were totally a couple. And so, that had Ikumi thinking and nursing a broken heart. There was just no way that she could go against Erina-sama...but at least, she could still hope to be counted amongst his friends...

Meanwhile, Hisako stood up and made her way to the couple to retrieve the ice creams and start the distribution. She started with the two lovebirds and then began to go around the group giving to each their own. While she did so, Erina and Sōma both made their way to Erina's belongings to fetch her sweatshirt before beginning to walk away from them once again.

"Eh? You're leaving again?" Takumi called out to them and they stopped and looked back at their friends.

"Yeah." Sōma answered briefly before adding with a smile, "We'll be back later." and resuming walking with Erina by his side quietly eating her ice cream.

They quickly disappeared from their sight as their left behind friends exchanged small glances. Most of them had noticed that something had been wrong with the redhead at breakfast that morning but after that, he had seemed more energetic so they figured it was alright somehow. But well, maybe he just needed to spend some time with his girlfriend.

And with that last thought, they all began to enjoy the coolness the ice cream provided in this hot weather.

* * *

After walking for a bit, Sōma and Erina saw some rocks not too far from them. They exchanged a glance and made their way to that rocky spot, taking a seat face to face on the bigger ones.

A warm wind caressed their whole body as they slightly scooted away to be able to look at each other during their talk.

While Sōma patiently waited for her to start speaking, Erina looked out at the ocean, gathering her thoughts. Then, letting her purple eyes rest on the quiet redhead, her lips parted and she spoke.

"It happened ten years ago. That day, I was unbelievably bored and was wandering around the mansion while looking for something to do. Alice was already gone at that time so this wasn't an option. And so, I was wondering what to do when I smelled a delicious scent...

I followed it and it led me to a room where my grandfather was sitting and being served by a chef I had never seen before. I planned to stay hidden and observe them in silence but then...my stomach growled. I tried to silence it but it was too late, both of them had spotted me already. After some explanations were done on my part, Ojii-sama asked me to go back to my room but then my stomach growled again...

Saiba-sama then smiled gently and invited me to take a seat. That's when I tasted it, his cooking. It was...the first time that I ever thought that cooking could be fun."

Erina paused and closed her eyes for a second before reopening them letting her eyes fall onto the quiet blue ocean, a light flush now adorning her cheeks.

"So I guess you could say that he's my model and inspiration." she murmured into the wind and silence fell upon them once again.

Sōma sat in silence as his brain took its time to process the words.

After a few more minutes of comfortable silence, Erina turned towards the redhead and spoke again.

"So? Why was that so important to you?" she asked, a little perplexed and curious about the reason why the boy had been so serious about that matter. She gracefully answered his questions so she had the right to have him answer hers.

Sōma's gaze slid on the blonde sitting beside him as he scrutinized her purple eyes wordlessly. He guessed she indeed deserved an explanation.

That could be a problem.

Just how was one supposed to explain something that they didn't understand themselves ?

* * *

… _and cut!_

 _Answer to guest reviews:_

 **Alyanna:** Hey :) You know, I'm really happy to see that you like this story so much and all but you know, sometimes it's not that I don't want to update, it's just that life got in the way or the chapter doesn't want to end ^^' So I don't forget about you all :) Also, I'll work on Darkness or Light next ;) Thanks for reviewing ^

 **Guestsquared:** Done ^^' Sorry, I'll be careful about using Japanese words unnecessarily now… Thanks for telling me and glad you enjoyed it anyway :)

 **Hey:** Happy to know you liked it ^^ Don't know how this ending was though lol XD Thanks for reviewing x)

 **David:** I guess XD And well, I guess she suffered a bit though it's more about Soma this time…hmm. Maybe it'll be more about Erina next time ;) Thanks for your review :D x)

 **HarmoniaFreak:** Glad to know that :D x) Really? :D Yay! XD Hmm…probably lol ;) When Soma gets over his jealousy XD You're welcome and thank you for sharing your thoughts ;D

 **Sergioqsc:** Glad you liked it ^^ I'm bad at defining genres lol XD Was that dramatic? If so, I'm glad it took the route you voted for ;D Thanks for reviewing x)

 **Guest** (1) **:** Language XD But same here XD I hate to read them and love to use them apparently XD ^^' Hope you enjoyed this chap too x)

 **Guest** (2 & 3) **:** Happy to see you enjoyed it x) Here is the update ;)

 _Thanks to the registered reviewers as well_ _ **WolfKinx**_ _,_ _ **WriterMushroom**_ _,_ _ **raydark182**_ _,_ _ **MidnightRhyme**_ _,_ _ **Keysone**_ _,_ _ **HelL4DAluCarD**_ _,_ _ **FirstStory**_ _,_ _ **JeGosu**_ _,_ _ **Generation Zero**_ _,_ _ **PantherSeraphin**_ _,_ _ **HiragaSaito16**_ _,_ _ **nagitochris**_ _,_ _ **madeyemoody95**_ _,_ _ **Mariafe727**_ _,_ _ **MasterE.N.D**_ _,_ _ **Justinsj5**_ _,_ _ **Eramis8**_ _,_ _ **IceEros**_ _,_ _ **Hinate**_ _,_ _ **OrangeSpark5555**_ _,_ _ **LoveGlutton**_ _,_ _ **Hashtagnalu2021**_ _,_ _ **Skytte**_ _,_ _ **Jerza Fernandes**_ _,_ _ **2n2kas**_ _,_ _ **Romantic Warrior 1999**_ _,_ _ **edna viibritannia**_ _,_ _ **acpeters**_ _,_ _ **SsinofPride**_ _and_ _ **Dalisay08**_ _:D_

 _Ja ne_


	22. Red fire

_Hello guys ^^_

 _Finally finished this…it's shorter than the two last chapters though but those were pretty long lol. Hope you'll enjoy?_

 _Anyway, thank you for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing :D_

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own SnS.

* * *

 **Chapter 22: Red fire**

* * *

Aureate eyes stared into amethyst ones as their owner tried to collect their thoughts to explain what had been going on through his mind, and remarkably failed. All he knew was that he had been incredibly irritated for some reason. That and a small part of him actually wanted to hear more about his father...

As for the reason behind his irritation...it was way beyond him.

Seriously, who would feel irritated to find a picture of their father with their blushing girlfr- a blushing girl they were _pretending_ to date? They weren't even actually dating! So who she used to favor shouldn't matter at all...yet it did. For some reason, it just did. The very idea that she could favor someone else, in this case his own father, didn't sit really well with him...

Plus, it looked like his father had earned her acknowledgment at his first try. He still had to and apparently, his father had bested him in that aspect as well.

Somehow, as he realized that very fact, he was even more fired up in his quest to best his father and earn the God Tongue's approval - not while walking in his father's shadow but with a cooking he could call his own.

"Yukihira-kun?"

 _Ah. Right. Nakiri is still waiting for an answer..._

Sōma slowly refocused on the blonde seating next to him as he willed his thoughts to go back to the original question that had led to this train of thought, which was why her answer mattered that much to him.

Well, that definitely was a good question.

When she started her explanation, he had first felt...a bit anxious? No, more like apprehensive. And when he heard that his father had been cooking for her grandfather, he had been a bit surprised and curious because he hadn't been aware of the fact that his dad had actually stayed in contact with him...though it wasn't _that_ surprising now that he took the time to think about it, after all, Jōichirō had _a lot_ of contacts in the cooking world...

Sōma sweat dropped at the thought as he reminisced about all the pictures of his father with people from all around the world he had found in a box and about all the foreign calls he had answered back at Yukihira diner. He had honestly believed that those were normal until his dorm mates had made those weird faces when he had talked about it. He hadn't thought much about it though. Until now. Maybe his dad was even more known than he had first thought...

"...Yukihira-kun...?"

Coming out of his thoughts, Sōma concentrated on his immediate surroundings once again as his eyes registered the half impatient half concerned face of Nakiri Erina. Sōma sent a sheepish grin her way as his right hand scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment eliciting a slight frown from the blonde.

"Sorry, I spaced out for a second there." Sōma apologized.

"Mou...don't leave me hanging and go spacing out." Erina pouted as she crossed her arms under her chest.

Sōma couldn't help but snort at that. "That's rich coming from you." he said as he tried to stifle a laugh.

Erina flushed a little at the reminder before looking away embarrassedly and murmuring, "Shut up." and laughter effectively escaped Sōma's lips this time, "At least, I don't throw my face into your personal space when you do."

The redhead stopped laughing at that, widely grinning at her instead. "I wouldn't have minded if you had." he informed her, his voice gaining a teasing tone at the end of his sentence.

That earned him an halfhearted glare from the heiress. "Stop talking about that already and answer me." she demanded, coming back to the original topic of their conversation.

"Hai, hai." Sōma agreed with a last grin before thinking about what to say once again.

 _So..._

After that, when she had so easily accepted his father's cooking, he had felt really frustrated. And a little irritated as well but that irritation had gone down a bit when she had labeled his father as her model and admiration, though not completely...

That irritation...what did it even m- irritation?

 _"...sy...irritation...else"_

 _Mom? What is it that she had been saying?_

Sōma closed his eyes as he focused on his mother's voice, trying to conjure the memory up.

 _"Mom! What's jealousy?"_

 _Ah..._

* * *

 _"Mom! What's jealousy?"_

 _Sōma's mother turned away from the recipe she was noting down to look into the curious eyes of her excited son. She blinked as she slowly registered his question before surprise overcame her features._

 _"Eh...? Jealousy? Why are you asking about that all of a sudden?" she slowly asked a little taken aback by her son's inquiry. He was only five and he didn't seem to be interested in those kind of things until then._

 _"Two clients were talking about it today." Sōma stated as he began to recount the event to his mother. "You see, I was taking their drinks to their table like Pops told me to when they began to talk loudly. The man was saying things like 'Why are you always so jealous?!' and the woman said 'Well, jealousy is a proof of love, isn't it?!' but the man didn't seem happy and they continued to talk loudly with unhappy faces so I just left their drinks and went back to the kitchen." Sōma finished as he looked at his mother._

 _The blonde was looking at him in understanding but was a bit incredulous as she wondered just why that couple had felt it necessary to take their argument to a diner. Well, that explained why Sōma was asking about that though._

 _After a small silence, she completely set down her pen and fully turned towards her son before patting her right thigh. "Come here." she invited him and Sōma promptly obliged before looking expectantly at his mother who took a deep breath and started with her explanation._

 _"Well, jealousy is when you feel irritation upon seeing your loved one with someone else." she stated simply, not wishing to go into too much details since her son was still young._

 _"Irritation?" Sōma asked innocently as he slightly slanted his head to the side bringing a fond smile to his mother's lips._

 _"You feel it when you don't like something." she declared before smiling down at her son who seemed to be thinking about what she just said._

 _Sōma frowned. "But I don't feel irrita...ted when you are with Pops, Mom."_

 _The blonde blinked at him and stared at his sincere eyes for a minute before she burst out into a full blown out laughter._

 _Sōma loved to hear her melodious laughter but not when it felt like she was laughing at him. He pouted and thought that he hadn't said anything funny, he had been really serious._

 _When she calmed down enough to talk, her blue eyes rested on her sulking red-haired son and her lips turned upwards in a warm smile._

 _"It's a bit different." she finally said and Sōma blinked up at her in question, waiting for her to continue. "Do you remember when I told you about lovers?" Sōma nodded as the memory came back to his mind. "Well, jealousy often happens when it concerns your lover. Or someone you really, really like a lot."_

 _The blonde let her words sink into her son's mind before she smiled down at him. "But you'll have time to think about it when you'll be older." she concluded before changing the subject. "Do you want to help me to make dinner?" she asked and Sōma's face instantly lit up in excitement._

 _"Yeah!" he exclaimed before hopping down and turning towards her, waiting for her to stand up as well._

 _Closing her notebook, she put it away and stood up, still smiling at Sōma. "Then, let's go to the kitchen." she said before following her enthusiastic son out of the room._

* * *

That meant...he had been... _jealous_...?

Golden eyes rested on the blonde's form as that fact slowly sank in. He had been jealous. That...actually made sense now that he thought about it. The irritation he felt when he discovered that picture, the feeling that he was about to lose something important to him, all of it made sense now.

Somehow, coming to this conclusion set his mind at peace. Well, for about ten seconds at least. Why? Because ten seconds later, he realized that being jealous came with a prerequisite, one that he hadn't really thought about until then. Was he...did he...like the girl more than he thought he did?

Sōma crunched down until his face was resting into his hands as his mind wandered to recent events.

 _That's..._

A memory of himself looking fondly at her sleeping face came back to mind.

 _...am I..._

And that time when he had felt the irresistible urge to kiss her after they made up the first time.

 _...seriously...?_

And all those feelings he hadn't been able to explain, his constant urge to tease her...

 _..._

At the light of all of this, the only conclusion he could come up with was that he, Yukihira Sōma, was in love with Nakiri Erina.

Somehow, he wasn't too happy about that...maybe it was the fact that all of this relationship was nothing but pretense and was meant to end soon or the fact that the girl probably didn't feel that way about him. And sure, he liked to think that maybe they had grown a little bit closer during that relationship but...

That's when his mind decided to finally register the fact that his companion was currently calling his name and had been for a while if the tone of her voice was to be trusted.

Right.

She _was_ waiting for an answer.

...just what was he supposed to say? He couldn't really tell her that he loved her because, well, one wasn't supposed to fall in love with the one they were pretending to date for a limited amount of time, right? That and he wasn't so sure about his feelings yet. Maybe it was a misunderstanding, he still had to confirm his theory after all.

And so, he decided to ignore it for now and finally answer to the blonde's inquiry.

When he finally lifted his head from his hands, he heard a small "Finally." coming from the blonde but ignored it in favor of letting his eyes bore into hers.

Erina was steadily growing anxious with each passing second as Sōma stared at her with an unreadable look in his eyes. She could hear her heart beating faster and faster into her ears until it was covering every other sound as she stared back into the twin pools of molten gold that Sōma called eyes, almost losing herself in them.

But as soon as it came, the moment was gone and Sōma broke eye contact, closing his eyes as he sighed.

When he reopened his eyes, they seemed carefully guarded and evaded her own as his lips parted to speak.

"I...guess I was just irritated over the fact that my father seemed to have so effortlessly achieved what I can't do right now." It technically wasn't a lie. Just a half truth.

Erina blinked at him as she opened her mouth to ask cautiously "...what do you mean?" She had a feeling that this wasn't all there was to it.

Sōma glanced at her before letting his gaze rest onto the peaceful ocean spreading in front of his eyes. "Well, I still have to hear you say that my cooking is delicious for example." he explained further in a tone that he purposely kept light. "You're hard to please, you know? At least, when it comes to me." he continued as he frowned a bit. "My dad has always been a great chef and I've been chasing after him for as long as I can remember. The desire to surpass him and to be a better chef than him...I felt like that since a long time ago. But the more time pass, the more I realize that I know nothing about what kind of chef my father is - I mean, I do know his cooking but I don't don't how it came to be or what kind of experiences he had before I was born. By that time, he was already going by Yukihira and running our diner so I didn't even know that this wasn't his original name. I only learned about it when I entered Tōtsuki, and some other things I guess. It's kinda weird to have known someone all your life but still know nothing about them...though I guess I never really asked and my dad's not really the type to spontaneously talk about himself."

Sōma paused for a while before speaking again, "But I guess I'm getting a bit off topic, right?"

Silence fell over them as Erina just stared at him as she digested all the information, unable to come up with anything to say. The fact that she still felt like she should understand something else from his words wasn't helping and a frown made its way to her own face as she pondered over what she was missing.

Seeing her frown, Sōma couldn't help but smile at the sight. Her troubled face was fascinating to watch as well, even more now that he probably knew why he liked to see her different faces that much.

...he was such a goner, wasn't he...? It seemed like he didn't really need further confirmation. Oh well, he was her pretend boyfriend for now so even if he acted on his feelings, it wouldn't seem all that weird - within certain limits of course. No kiss on the lips seemed to be their unspoken rule. Probably. There were lots of other places to kiss anyway so it shouldn't be too hard...

Sōma's left hand reached for Erina's face and he let it rest on the side of her face, startling the girl back onto Earth. She glanced at his hand in confusion before lifting her eyes back up to meet his own in inquiry.

Seeing the confused glint in her eyes brought a grin on his face and he leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Be ready because I'm gonna make you fall."

Erina's face grew hotter as she felt his breath on her face and she turned her face away from the red-haired boy. "Wha-what are you talking about...?"

Sōma leaned back into his original position and grinned. It was the same infuriating grin that she had come to dislike when they first met and Erina could just feel the frustration and annoyance building up inside her which manifested themselves in the form of a glare that told the redhead all that he needed to know about the feelings currently filling the blonde.

"Well, you're gonna see soon enough." he simply said as he winked at her, clearly not intending to explain his cryptic words any further.

Unsurprisingly, that made Erina's frustration multiply ten-fold as she just _knew_ that she wouldn't actually get what was going on inside her 'boyfriend's mind before he deigned to share his thoughts with her. A deep frown now marred her features and she could only think about one thing that would help her exasperation go down.

A few seconds later, Erina's fist solidly landed on Sōma's shoulder and he yelped in surprise and slight pain - not that Erina's strength was to be reckoned of but well. She _had_ actually intended to make it hurt so it did end up being a bit painful for him since she hadn't really held back.

"Ow..." Sōma let out a little cry of pain as he rubbed his now sore shoulder, "What was that for?" he asked, looking at the heiress with a petulant expression.

Erina smiled in satisfaction at the sight as she turned the other way in a haughty manner "You deserved it." she simply said before standing up and getting her feet back onto the wet sand. Maybe that was a little childish of her to hit him to release her irritation but it had worked. And that was the only thing that really mattered.

With that last thought, she turned towards the direction they had come from, intending to make her way back but she never got to take a single step that way since she was literally swept off her feet and dangling into the air, firmly held by a pair of strong arms and the blonde shrieked in surprise, her face heating up in embarrassment.

Looking up to see the face of her captor, she was met with the mirthful face of a Yukihira Sōma who apparently had every intention to get revenge for the unfairness of her act if his wide malicious grin was anything to go by.

Somehow, she had a feeling that she wouldn't like what would happen next.

She struggled to get out of his arms but his grip on her only tightened as he started to walk towards the sea, completely ignoring her protests and the widening of her eyes as she understood his intentions and renewed her struggle with greater vigor. His grin only widened as he tightened his grip on her, pressing her against his chest - a fact that failed to register to her mind at the moment - even more as he slowly entered the water with the blonde in his arms.

When he was in waist-deep, he stilled and grinned down at her. Erina's dreadful eyes met his mirthful ones and the blonde shook her head in a futile attempt to dissuade him to do it but a second later, he released her and let gravity do its work.

What he hadn't expected was the girl throwing her arms around his neck and dragging him down with her into the warm water and for a brief moment, surprise overcame his features until he disappeared under the surface with the girl.

A minute or so later, they both emerged with a loud gasp and flushed faces, unable to look at each other in the eye. An awkward silence ensued during which both of them thought back to what had just happened.

When Erina had thrown her arms around his neck, she had ended up dragging him face first under the water which had resulted in her lips meeting the corner of his mouth in the salted water. At that moment, time had frozen and they had just stared at each other in shock before Erina had shot up, soon followed by her companion.

She couldn't believe it. She had just ki-kissed him! Albeit accidentally and on the corner of the mouth but still...!

For once, the redhead seemed equally abashed as he brought a hand to the spot that her lips had touched in a daze. He hadn't really expected his revenge to backfire like that when he had dropped her into the water with her sweatshirt on. And with the unexpectedness of the whole thing, the redhead was rendered positively speechless.

The awkward silence continued as they risked a glance towards the other, only to immediately avert their eyes when they were met with the other's gaze, their face heating up just the tiniest bit more.

Then, in an unspoken and common agreement, they both decided not to talk about it and made their way out of the water and back to where the others were probably waiting for them.

* * *

"..."

Alice regarded her dripping cousin and her equally dripping 'boyfriend' as if she was looking at two bizarre animals which existence she ignored until then. She wasn't the only one as the others were all blankly staring at their dripping selves with an expression that did nothing to hide their astonishment at the whole situation.

It was finally Alice who broke the disbelieving silence in a carefully emotionless voice.

"...you know, I didn't think you'd actually go see the fishes with your clothes on this time." she said as she watched her cousin with a deadpanned look.

"I did not!" Erina exclaimed indignantly as she flushed a little at the accusation and the reminder of what had happened after their first date.

"..." Alice's red eyes swept over both their figures before traveling back to her cousin's affronted purple eyes, perfectly conveying her difficulty at believing her in the state they were both in.

Correctly interpreting her cousin's expression, Erina felt even more offended and had a strong impression of déjà vu. "This is all his fault!" she exclaimed as she pointed accusingly at the silent guy standing at her right. "He's the one who dropped me into the water with my sweater on!"

Alice's eyebrow rose in wonder as her inquiring gaze slid onto the apparent culprit who didn't even try to deny it or explain, only grinning sheepishly in response and she concluded that it was probably the truth. Though she wondered just what could have led to that particular string of events. She only let out a small inquisitive "Really..." to which her blonde cousin responded with a loud "Yes! And -" before abruptly stopping.

Alice's inquiring gaze slid back onto her figure and was met with a rapidly flushing Erina who had seemingly froze mid-sentence if her still parted lips were any indication. That made her curious about what she had been about to say, even more when she noticed that her 'boyfriend's cheeks now spotted slight pink dust, certainly knowing just where she had been going.

The interaction between the three didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the group who idly wondered just what had happened so that the _both_ of them were embarrassed just by reminiscing about it. Most of them just watched the couple before shrugging and deciding that it was probably just a couple thing while others snickered at the possible scenario and a few averted their eyes and tried not to think about all the possibilities.

Alice's suspicious eyes rested on both of them until they were distracted by her aide. Ryō had just approached his lady and quietly said something that sounded like "Lunch is here.". Alice smiled brightly before nodding and thanking him. Now that she thought about it, she was getting hungry, and rightfully so since it was already past 1 p.m.

Without wasting much time, she transmitted the information to the rest of the group. "Everyone, lunch is ready! The villa's chef just brought it to us." she exclaims brightly as Ryō unfolded the grand picnic blanket a little away from their towels and placed the picnic basket in its center, silently inviting them to take place around it.

They all stood up to make their way to it but Alice stopped in her tracks and looked back at the still dripping couple who had started to walk towards it as well only to stop when they found her gaze on them. While the others were relatively dry, those two were nowhere near it so after casting them a last glance, Alice curtly said "Take your towels." before resuming to walk and the two watched her do so, a little taken aback, before turning around to fetch said towels and removing their dripping clothes at the same time, only keeping their swimsuits on. They would dry faster if they weren't on them after all.

* * *

Lunch had consisted of a light lettuce and tomato salad, a tuna pie, some wraps and a chocolate cake for the dessert. Of course, each of those dishes had been revisited by the Nakiri chef and been brought to a whole other level of flavor to their utter satisfaction. As expected.

After lunch, most of them had decided to lie down and rest for a bit while enjoying the warmth of the Sun rays caressing their bodies.

Erina was amongst them as she lied on her towel, not far from Hisako who had decided to stay by her side. Her 'boyfriend' had disappeared...somewhere with the oldest Aldini twin, probably looking for things they could use as inspiration for dishes around the beach.

With him gone, she was finally starting to relax a bit and could feel herself slipping into a light slumber until she heard her ringtone. Blindly reaching for the phone, she finally put her hand on it and extracted it from her bag before bringing it to her ear.

"Hello?" she said with her eyes still closed.

" _Erina? It's me._ " a deep voice greeted her from the other side of the line and it took her a few seconds to put a name on it.

When she did, she shot up in a seated position, her eyes now wide open as she exclaimed into the phone "Ojii-sama!"

A deep chuckle came from the other side as she composed herself a bit. " _Did I wake you?_ " Senzaemon asked in a knowing voice and Erina flushed a bit.

"Not really, I was just enjoying the Sun. Did you need something? Is it the thing that Alice said you wanted me to do for you here?"

" _Yes and no. I was mostly just checking on you girls and wanted to know how if it's going well at the villa. Are you at the beach right now?_ "

"Yes. Well, it's going well and there's no problem whatsoever for now."

" _That's good to hear. I'll call you back tomorrow then. Enjoy the beach._ "

"We will. Thanks Ojii-sama." Erina said before they exchanged farewells and hung up.

It was only after hanging up that Erina realized that she still had no idea about the nature of the task he grandfather wanted her to accomplish. It must have had something to do with her otherwise he'd be able to ask Alice about it - maybe not. Her cousin was often carefree and she was a lot more serious than her so if he wanted something done diligently, she guessed choosing her would be a better bet.

She was still pondering over this when a shadow fell onto her. Tearing her gaze away from her phone, she looked up to discover the half curious half enquiring face of our favorite redhead. Their eyes met and they stared at each other for a short moment before Sōma light-heartedly asked "What are you doing?"

Erina only blinked at him before looking back at her phone and tucking it away. "Nothing."

Sōma stared at her some more, completely unconvinced, before a grin made its way to his face. If she wanted to go with that, then he just had to go along, right? It actually was even better this way. "Nothing, huh..." he said as he leaned in even more, invading her personal space once more as he looked deep into her eyes.

 _This guy...!_ Erina thought as she felt her face growing hotter in response to his obvious lack of boundaries. Worse is that he was totally enjoying this...and she couldn't even reject him or hit him once more. It'd be a little weird for her to hit her boyfriend just because of that. Or maybe not. Maybe she actually could...?

She was seriously considering it when he unexpectedly leaned in to place a light kiss just in between her eyebrows.

By now, Erina was sure that she must have been doing a pretty good impersonation of a tomato. "Just what do you think you're doing?!" she exclaimed as she shot up to her feet and Sōma took a small step back even as his grin grew wider. He _was_ enjoying this.

A few meters away from the couple, yellow eyes fell onto their owner's lap just as a sharp pain made itself know in her chest. Megumi didn't know how long she'd be able to look at them being all lovey-dovey like that...it was getting more and more painful as time went by and she didn't know whether to feel relieved or not to see Sōma being more like himself once again.

A complicated expression overwhelmed the bluenette's features and she tried to divert her attention from them, wrapping her arms around her legs as she looked out at the ocean.

Next to her, Houjou lifted her sunglasses from her nose and let her eyes rest on the depressed form of the girl. Her dorm mates seemed to be peacefully napping by now, unaware of their friend's current conflict. She watched her a little more before deciding to ask.

"Tadokoro." Miyoko called and the bluenette turned to face her, a little startled by the sound of her name but seemingly glad for the distraction.

"Hai?" Megumi answered with a small smile as her eyes fell on the form of the Chinese girl, still half lying on her towel, taking support on her elbows to see her better.

Houjou stared at her for a while before setting her sunglasses into her hair and speaking again. "I meant to ask this for a while now but..." she paused and Megumi tilted her head to the side, a little curious about what the girl would want to ask. Looking straight into her eyes, Miyoko bluntly asked "Are you in love with that redhead?"

As the question sank in, Megumi promptly proceeded to turn into a statue as her smile froze in place, her brain completely blanking as she watched into Miyoko's expectant eyes.

The silence seemed to last for an eternity before Megumi finally managed to get a single sound out. "...huh?"

As Houjou reformulated her question and finally succeeded in making Megumi grow a body-sized blush, Yūki flinched and rolled on her side to face Ryōko, careful to go unnoticed by the two chatting girls. They sweat dropped and exchanged a look as the same thought went through their mind.

 _She's been found out already, huh...?_

On the other hand, Ikumi silently thanked God for her dark skin that helped to conceal her light flush as she decided to pretend that she hadn't just heard that. Fortunately, her sunglasses were on top of her nose so she could fake being asleep if she wished to.

Not far from her, similar thoughts passed through the minds of the poor boys that happened to overhear that particular string of conversation. Fortunately (or not depending on how you look at it), it was only Shun and Akira and both weren't the type to just go and run their mouth about it. Instead, they sent sympathizing vibes to the poor girl and resumed minding their own business.

Megumi could only stare at the waiting girl as the man responsible for her predicament stood a few meters away from her, bickering with his girlfriend and blissfully unaware of the turmoil he was causing as only one thought passed through the bluenette's mind.

 _Eeeeeeeeeeh!?_

* * *

 _Tbc…_

 _Answer to guest reviews:_

 **Anon:** Well, they didn't actually kiss but close enough? XD ^^'

 **PK:** My bad. Can never resist lol… ^^' Happy to know you are x)

 **Haru:** Oopsie? ^^' I'm happy to know you're enjoying it as it goes ^^ And sorry for the long wait. Hope you liked the update?

 **Hey:** Yeah XD I take forever recently lol…but it should get better with the break. Hopefully. Glad you liked it ;)

 **Sorina:** Welcome back! :D I was so looking forward to writing about a jealous Soma XD I swear, I chose the beach just for that XD Well, sadly, Megumi is bound to have her heart broken since I'm totally shipping Soma x Erina…even if it makes me feel bad for her too :/ Well, was that satisfactory? ^^' Thanks and I'd so want this to happen in canon XD But it won't be anytime soon so in the meanwhile I console myself like this XD XD Thank you x)

 **JeGosu:** He was. Kinda XD But now that he's put a name on his feelings and come to terms with all that, it should only get better lol XD Glad you enjoyed it ;)

 **Kaito1412:** Lol XD It's fine :) Happens to me as well lol XD I can imagine that especially with my cliffhangers right? ^^' Glad you liked it ^^

 **Guest** (1): Really? Hmm…well didn't intend it that way but oh well. Can't be helped.

 **Selpi:** Nope. I'm working on Darkness or Light too and just released Fright, a one-shot :) I'm glad to know you're enjoying it ^^

 **Guest** (2): Done XD x)

… _I'm getting lazy with my author notes so thanks to all the guest reviewers and the registered ones :D_ _ **WolfKinx**_ _,_ _ **raydark182**_ _,_ _ **Kurama no Jubi, TheAdelaide9, ChaosOmega8, that-girl-on-the-corner, evolvelove, Exercariver, Gallian Squad 7, Eramis8, OrangeSpark5555, Generation Zero, nagitochris, Hashtagnalu2021, LeoneKun, acpeters, WriterMushroom, Keysone, silentworl94, madeyemoody95, FirstStory, DankDoggo, woofy, SsinofPride, PantherSeraphin**_ _-sama_ _ **, Faroffinho, Justinsj5, Balsta17, sarara1.8, Serakrom, HelL4AluCarD, JLgods01, Mariafe77, Master E.N.D, Skytte, xXTomboysRuleXx, Dalisay08, HiragaSaito16, DBZZY, JuniorL Cloud, Lolo John, aebbt608, edna viibritannia**_ _and **mrs crankypants** :D_

 _Thanks to you all and I love reading what you have to say ^^_

 _Ja ne_


	23. Blazing fire

_Hello guys! ^^_

 _Happy New Year :D_

… _it wasn't supposed to take that long…well, I tried. -' Anyway, here is a new chapter :) Hope you'll enjoy._

 _Thanks for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing ^^_

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own SnS.

* * *

 **Chapter 23: Blazing fire**

* * *

A sigh escaped Megumi's lips as she slowly made her way back to the villa, a little behind the others as she reminisced about her recent conversation with Houjou-san. She still couldn't believe that she had found her out. Dear Lord...was she _that_ transparent? It hadn't even been two days since they all began their vacation together...

Her only consolation was that no one had seemed to hear them talking and she had somehow convinced the girl to leave that talk for later (while stuttering and fumbling around her words) before she could try not to die of embarrassment. It was a thing to crush on your dorm mate and another to crush on your obviously taken and happily in couple dorm mate.

Another breath went past her lips as she hung her head a little lower.

At least, the Chinese girl was the only one who had caught on that besides her female dorm mates. This was her sole consolation.

(She proceeded to spontaneously combust when she later learned that almost everybody present at that time knew about that crush of hers except the denser ones and the object of her affection.)

She so wasn't looking forward to that talk...

Meanwhile, some meters in front of her, Alice was enthusiastically talking with (read mercilessly teasing) her dear cousin who hadn't been able to stop a light blush from appearing on her face. After the obvious recent development of her cousin's relationship with the redhead, she just couldn't stop herself from prying a little (Alice had a slightly different view on the meaning of those two words as it was currently being proven) and asking about what had happened. So far, she didn't have much Intel though. Erina's only answers were a blush and "N-nothing happened! Stop asking already!"

Alice pouted a little in response as she glanced at the redhead, currently chatting with the oldest Aldini twin about what they would do with the coconuts they were carrying around. After coming back from wherever he had gone off with Erina, he had seemed more peaceful, as if he had finally found the solution to what had been bothering him recently. She had noticed his sudden change at breakfast this morning and had immediately deduced that something had happened between the two at some point after dinner. Since their rooms were linked, it wasn't improbable that they had interacted the night before without her active knowledge...

Anyway, to help them to work it out (and make the possessiveness and protectiveness rise in Yukihira-kun), she had decided to send Erina to buy ice creams (taking advantage of her earlier promise) and managed to get to Sōma accompany her. The blonde was sure to attract the stares of the other males after all, even more with her body exposed like that. That said, she quite frankly hadn't expected that plan to work that well but it had gone beyond her expectations, which was really good.

It was now time to proceed with the rest of her plan...

A cunning smirk appeared on Alice's face for a second before it was replaced by a frown as she let her eyes fall back on her cousin.

"Mou...Erina! I can't help you if you don't tell me anything!" she complained in a whining voice.

"I don't want your... _help_." Erina simply answered, finally succeeding in making her blush recede.

Alice made a show of being hurt before she said "How can you say that..." in a mock hurt tone, "When I've been trying so hard to help you out ever since the beginning of it all..."

Erina rolled her eyes at the comment. "You're only doing it for your personal amusement..." she muttered under her breath as she kept walking, not bothering to enter her cousin's game.

"You said something?" Alice inquired, hurt completely forgotten.

"Nothing." came the fast reply before Erina fastened her pace, trying to get away from the girl.

Hisako matched her pace with her own as she threw her a slightly concerned look. "Erina-sama, is everything alright?"

Erina glanced at her friend before looking back in front of her and sighing. "It's fine. It's just Alice being Alice." she replied and Hisako sweat dropped before nodding in comprehension.

The white-haired girl tended to like to annoy her cousin whenever she got the chance, which actually happened really often, way too often for Erina-sama's peacefulness...but Hisako had learned that that was how the two interacted and they somehow seemed to get along a lot better than they previously had when Alice first arrived at Tōtsuki so she guessed she could let it slide. Plus, it was better not to be on the vixen's bad side...

A few minutes later, they all entered the villa's main hall and Sōma and Takumi immediately fled towards the kitchen, barely glancing at the rest of the group as they set down their coconuts on the counter and rummaged around, looking for the ingredients they had at disposal. Unsurprisingly, there was a grand variety and even some they couldn't really name. It'd be more than enough for a little contest and they had found enough coconuts to have at least two other participants and three judges.

Making their way back to the hall, they immediately noticed that their companions had all vacated the place, probably going up into their rooms if the chatter and footsteps they could hear from above their heard were any indication.

Glancing at each other with a fire in their eyes and a grin on their face, they silently agreed to meet up after getting the salt off their skin and made their way to the 3rd floor in hurried steps.

Ten minutes later, Sōma and Takumi both exited their respective room, refreshed and ready to go convince their potential opponents and judges.

Fifteen minutes later, the two rivals were back in the kitchen, their mood slightly damped by the fact that they hadn't any judge. Sōma had tried to get Erina to come down but it hadn't gone that well...

("And why should I do that?" Erina had inquired as she tore her eyes away from the file she had been reading, carelessly dropping it on her bed, and let them rest on the excited form of her pretend boyfriend, "I'll have you know that I have no obligation to despite our situation." she had added before he could even begin to form an answer.

"But you're supposed to be my girlfriend?" Sōma had tried anyway. If her current appearance was any indication, she had yet to wash the salt off her skin and seemed a bit tired. He highly doubted she'd come act as a judge for them but...

Erina had only given him a flat look. "And?"

"And it'll be good...?" he said, not sounding convincing at all even to his own ears.

Erina had stayed silent for at least a solid minute while giving him a completely unimpressed look before declaring "If that's all, I'll ask you to leave. I want to rest for a while. Try someone else." and disappearing inside her bathroom.)

After that, Sōma had crossed the hallway to go ask Alice but the girl had only glanced his way for a second from the couch she was lying on with Kurokiba before returning to whatever she was watching on her TV at the moment and lending him Ryō instead. Said guy only sighed before removing his arm from the back of the couch and peeling himself from the aforementioned couch, quietly excusing himself and making his way to the door linking their rooms.

Sōma paused for a moment before closing the door to Alice's room and planting himself in front of Kurokiba's who exited a minute later with a shirt that Sōma hadn't realized was missing until he saw it on. Paying it no further heed, Sōma then proceeded to explain things but he wanted him as a contestant and so he still had no judge.

While Kurokiba made his way to the kitchen, Sōma went off to Hayama's room and managed to convince him to join them to participate in the match (which was rapidly turning into a simple taste-testing) with some convincing before making his way to Arato's room only to find her working on some sort of file with her phone in hand and after explaining things, she politely declined and Sōma left, a little down.

He sincerely hoped Takumi had more luck on his side.

Sadly, his wish was to stay unfulfilled. Takumi had knocked on Megumi's door but no one had answered. Quickly peeking inside, he had found the room empty and frowned before closing the door and making his way to the floor below. Trying Ikumi's room next, he found her chatting enthusiastically with Sakaki and Yoshino. They declined his invitation, explaining that they wanted to try some things themselves before exiting the room and making their way to the stairs.

Isami only wanted to watch and Ibusaki had disappeared...somewhere. Marui would have come but he was in the middle of trying to stop Daigo and Shoji from creating any more mayhem in his room and hollowly declined as well, shortly before being caught up between the two bickering boys.

Takumi was starting to lose hope. He took a deep breath and tried the last door, knocking on Houjou's door. It thankfully opened to reveal the Chinese girl a few seconds later with an inquisitive expression painted on. Behind her, Megumi was standing beside the bed and Takumi just knew the answer. As expected, she declined, briefly explaining that she was in the middle of a talk before closing the door once more.

Takumi faced the door for a moment before sighing and making his way back to the kitchen. He had tried. He hoped Sōma had more luck but soon found out that except for participants, they weren't any judge in the kitchen. A light breath escaped his lips before he looked back at the scene with a renewed vigor. Even if there weren't judges, it didn't mean that he couldn't beat his rival once and for all, Takumi thought with a confident grin.

This was sure to be interesting anyway and he couldn't wait to try what he had in mind...

* * *

"So, let's say two hours. Is it enough?" Sōma said after briefly glancing at the clock as the four boys finished placing the ingredients they'd need on their station (it really shouldn't have come as a surprise that the villa's kitchen was equipped enough to have eight persons cooking at the same time on different dishes but it kinda did) and reached for the coconuts, each of them taking two.

"Who do you think you are talking to?" Takumi asked with a smirk in lieu of replying and with a fire in his eyes, "That's plenty."

His affirmation was backed up by Hayama's smirk and Kurokiba's brief nod before they each turned to their station.

"Then, let's start!" Sōma exclaimed as he promptly started to work on opening his coconuts. Around him, his rivals did the same and a small smile made its way to the redhead's lips as a thought came to his mind. Finally, after all this time, he'd be able to measure up against his rivals. The smile soon turned into a challenging grin as he gave a firm chop to his second coconut.

He certainly wasn't going to lose against them.

* * *

A little less than one hour and half later, Sōma covered his finished dish and glanced at his companions. Hayama and Kurokiba looked like they were almost done as well but it seemed like Takumi would need at least ten to fifteen more minutes to complete his dish. Deciding to wait for him, he made sure that he had not missed some trash and satisfied, looked around the kitchen.

Nikumi, Yoshino and Sakaki were enthusiastically chattering about some test dishes they had made with local meat in a corner opposite to them. He was entertaining the idea of joining them in the meanwhile when light footsteps caught his attention. Swirling around in direction of their origin, he discovered his blonde 'girlfriend', peeking into the kitchen from the doorway before turning around and walking towards the hall.

A slightly curious expression stretched his features as he swiftly exited the kitchen and followed her disappearing back until she entered a room on her right. Sōma stopped a little away from the door and briefly wondered what she was up to but his musings were interrupted by Takumi's enthusiastic cry.

"Yosh! I'm done!"

 _Hmm. I guess I should go back then._ Sōma thought before making his way back to the kitchen. He'd go see Erina after they were done tasting their respective dishes.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Houjou's room, Megumi and Miyoko were just ending their conversation. Megumi had explained the situation to the Chinese girl, leaving some details out here and there, and was currently waiting for the girl's reaction. She had been awfully silent that whole time and now wore an analyzing expression on her face with her fingers resting on her chin.

After a moment of silence that felt like an eternity to Megumi, Miyoko finally spoke.

"I see." she simply said. There was no judgment in her voice or negative emotion and for that, Megumi was grateful. She didn't know what she had expected but she was relieved with that response. "So?"

Megumi blinked at the sudden question as she tilted her head in confusion.

"Um...so...what?" she asked back uncertainly.

Miyoko let her eyes fall into hers as she reformulated her inquiry. "What are you going to do now?"

Megumi blinked twice at her, trying to understand her question before flushing and looking down at her hands resting in her lap. She let some time pass before carefully answering "Well...nothing."

It was Miyoko's turn to blink at the girl.

"You're not going to do anything about it?" she inquired incredulously.

"Yes." Megumi confirmed, glancing sideways as she spoke.

Miyoko stared at her as if she was a rare specimen that she hadn't come across until now and asked "Why is that?" in the same incredulous tone she had used before.

That made Megumi look up at her, startled by the question. She blinked at the girl before her confused expression turned into a sad one. "Um...Sōma-kun is dating Nakiri-san and he seems to really...like...her." she finally got out as if it was physically hurting her to actually say those words. And certainly, it did if the way her heart constricted as she pronounced them was any indication... Of course, she had known and seen it herself at multiple instances but actually saying was a lot harder on her that she thought it would have been.

Miyoko only blinked at her once more as if to tell that she could not comprehend her thought process and asked again "So what?"

When Megumi only blinkedi at her, she added "It's not as if they're married or even engaged."

Megumi didn't reply, preferring to look down at her hands instead. After a while, Miyoko sighed and broke the silence.

"But well, it's your choice in the end and if you don't want to do anything then just let it be." she declared before tacking on "But I think you should try to get some kind of closure at least. I doubt you'll be able to move on otherwise."

After that, Miyoko had observed the silent girl for a while before sighing once more and standing up, declaring that she was going to take a bath and that Megumi could leave when she felt like it. Then, after rummaging through her clothes, she had headed towards her bathroom and Megumi had stood up, excused herself and exited the room before making her way to her own. She hadn't taken a bath yet after the beach so she might as well do the same.

A little later, as she poked her duck floating on the water, she continued to ponder the words of the girl, different emotions storming into her yellow eyes before she closed them and tried to relax.

 _Closure huh..._

* * *

Back to the kitchen, Takumi was proudly presenting his dish.

"This is a strawberry cake! A perfect refreshment for the summer heat. Have a bite!" he said to the waiting boys in front of him as he presented them all with a dessert fork.

Sōma only blinked at it then looked blankly at the blond boy before opening his mouth to speak.

"But it's a dessert. We should eat it last, no?" to which Hayama silently agreed as Isami muffled his laughter behind his hand which earned him and embarrassed "Shut up!" that only served to make the dark-haired twin laugh even harder.

"Anyway," Sōma started, completely dismissing the issue "who should we start with?" he asked with a grin. "Why not start with me?" he proposed pointing to the four plates he had prepared beforehand.

"Why should we start with you, Yukihira?" Kurokiba asked flatly, "You should go third since you were third place in the Elections."

A vein pulsed against Sōma's temple. "I wasn't third! No one said a word about me being third and you were a runner up just like me so why do you assume I was third?" Sōma retorted angrily.

"Are you saying that I was third place?" Ryō asked with a hint of anger in his voice and Akira couldn't help but have an impression of déjà vu as they started to argue over who was third place once more. They didn't seem to get tired of it either...

He tuned back in just in time to catch Sōma's last sentence "- Besides, a lot happened since then, I'm sure I'll totally beat you two right now!" and decided to intervene.

"Or," he started, effectively catching the arguing two's attention, "We could just go with Rock-Paper-Scissors or something."

That seemed to appease the bickering boys as they stopped and pondered over it. After a while, they nodded and approached the white-haired boy.

A few minutes later, Sōma was scowling grudgingly as he stared at his hand. After their game, it had been decided that Kurokiba would go first, followed by Hayama and he had landed in the last position. Though the real last was Takumi but since he hadn't played, he hadn't actually lost or anything like that - which the blond was well aware of if the smug expression he sent his way was any indication. Takumi seemed to be telling him 'Serves you right for making me go last.' or something along those lines.

Silently swearing under his breath, Sōma finally let his hand drop back at his side as he looked up at the plate that was resting in front of him.

It seemed like Kurokiba had decided to go with seafood today, specifically shrimps. It was rather delicately presented with the prawns resting atop some special couscous with light orange puree on the side and some kind of foam on the other side. Plus, it seemed to smell like roses...like, seriously, the foam smelled like roses which intrigued him to no ends.

Not wasting any more time, Sōma took a bite.

 _Sōma was immediately transported on a rocky coast, looking out at the sea when he was suddenly joined by someone who was offering a peach shaped like a rose to him and when he looked up at their face, he was surprised to be met with a coconut smiling down at him._ Coming back to his senses, Sōma looked down at his plate only to find out that he had eaten a fourth of it already. As he had suspected, the foam was made with coconut water and roses, though the purée was a surprise. Peach puree wasn't exactly what he had expected, plus there was fennel hidden in the couscous too...

All in all, Sōma had to admit that it was a remarkable dish...but his dish wouldn't lose to it!

...Although they still had to taste Hayama's dish before they would eat his. Oh well.

Resuming eating, he quickly swept his plate clean before setting it aside next to the others' and looking expectantly to where Hayama was finishing to fill small bowls and put some rice in another before inviting them to come over. They all approached him and curiously surveyed the content of the bowls. It looked like some kind of...chicken curry and it smelled incredible. As expected of Hayama.

Wordlessly snapping their chopsticks, they immediately dove into it. The second their tongue touched it, their entire mouth was filled with deliciousness and they were transported in a whole new level of flavor and aroma. ...not that they'd admit it to his face since it'd feel like admitting defeat or something but he really was good with spices, that was a fact. This unique curry blend was really exceptional and somehow, the coconut water seemed to enhance it even more. Truly exceptional.

After finishing their bowls, they set them aside and Sōma finished presenting their plates before giving one to each of them.

The redhead had gone with a curry as well but while Hayama's had been really vivid and full of color, Sōma seemed more appeasing, if only a bit since he had put his fair share of color as well with the red peppers and vegetables that added some green in the picture. This feeling probably came with the fact that while Hayama's chicken meat had been colored red with the various spices and sauce, Sōma had gone with mackerel with its white flesh.

They all looked at it a bit curiously before taking their first bite. _Right at that moment, they were no longer standing in the grand villa's kitchen but floating in the middle of a mackerel bank, leisurely swimming around them. After a while, they surfaced and were greeted with refreshing-looking coconut drinks still in their shell and little decorative umbrellas._ Coming back to their senses, they started to analyze the whole dish a bit more. The skin of the mackerel was crispy, creating an interesting contrast of texture just as the roasted okras were.

It was a world of flavor they hadn't known before and they were intrigued by the bold combination but too prideful to admit it to the redhead's face.

Finally, it was time to taste Takumi's cake. He was positively glowing with impatience and excitement at that point, wanting to let them try it immediately. He cut four parts of it (setting one for himself as well) and set them on the plates he had prepared beforehand and set a dessert fork on each of them. That done, he presented the waiting boys with their plate.

Sōma immediately took it upon himself to examine the cake - well, he would have just eaten it but he was a little intrigued since Takumi had taken lots of time to do it. It didn't look that complicate though. It seemed to be strawberry-flavored...if the pink color and strawberries adorning it were any indication. Looking closely, it didn't look that hard so what had taken so much time? Intrigued, Sōma took his fork and cut a small bit before putting it in his mouth. The first thing he noticed when the cake entered his mouth was the coolness of the dessert and he soon discovered its origin once it had touched his tongue.

 _Ice cream?!_ Sōma thought, bewildered and took another bite to verify the hypothesis. _No...that's not ice cream...frozen strawberries and coconut water and meat...?!_ he deduced as he lifted his golden eyes to look up at his rival.

Correctly interpreting Yukihira's expression, Takumi smirked smugly and started to explain how he froze the strawberries, gaining the attention of the other two. That certainly explained the long time he took. The crust was made with almonds and dates and the contrast of texture was really interesting. Plus the topping was really good as well with the strawberries and dates. It really was the perfect dessert for a hot day.

As they all put down their forks, plates now devoid of cake, the three boys looked back up to the blond boy and they all started to stare at each other.

None had really made any comment about the dishes they had just tasted even if they all approved of them all. They had decorticated all they could by themselves, the chef explaining what they couldn't but somehow, none had said that this or that was good or anything like that. It'd feel like they had admitted defeat if they had...

And so they just stared at each other, trying to read the others' mind. ...why didn't they have judges again? Ah yes, none of their companions were willing to take that role.

The silence continued on for a while before Sōma finally broke it, saying that he wanted to taste their dishes again, soon followed by the others.

On the other side of the kitchen, the girls briefly glanced at the boys before returning to the task at end. Truth be told, they would have tasted the boys' dishes but somehow, they felt like something horrible would happen if they did. Like being pestered by them to taste all the dishes once again if they chose one over the other or being glared at - or worse, being caught in the middle of their argument after the judgment. _That_ would be anything but pleasant. Though they wanted to believe that they were mature enough to get over it like the grown men they were supposed to be.

The trio looked up with a grin when Isami asked if he could join them before they all resumed to try different arrangement for that chicken they had just found in the forest surrounding the villa.

* * *

It wasn't after half an hour later that Sōma could finally make his way to the door he had seen Erina disappear behind earlier that afternoon. They had spent some more time tasting each other's dishes and making small comments without trying to determine the best one but each deeply believing that theirs was the best. Finally, after thirty minutes of that, they had decided to reiterate the experience the day after and went their separate ways, thus allowing Sōma to go wander around the mansion and after the blonde. He half expected not to find her there after such a long time but when he quietly opened the door after waiting for some time, he found her sitting in an armchair, her back to the door, seemingly oblivious to his presence. She had failed to hear his knocking apparently.

Getting closer to the unaware blonde, he casually made his way to her and bend down to look over her shoulder, discovering an album in her lap but before he could get a closer look the girl shot up, causing the album to fall on the ground, and turned wide purple eyes towards him.

"Y-Yukihira-kun?!" Erina blurted out in surprise as she stared at the redhead standing in front of her.

Sōma only hummed in affirmative before casually making his way around the seat, bending down, his eyes falling on the picture of a familiar woman as he did so, and picking the fallen album up.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Erina finally managed to get out after recovering from her previous surprise.

Sōma presented her with the album as he answered "Checking on you I guess. You?"

Erina regarded him suspiciously, even as she accepted the album back. "How did you know I was here...?" she asked instead of answering his inquiry.

Sōma only blinked at her before putting his right hand in his pocket and parting his lips to speak.

"Well, I saw you enter this room earlier." he simply said before looking around curiously. Now that he actually paid attention to the place, it seemed to be a library or something since the bookshelves resting against the walls were all filled with what appeared to be books but upon closer inspection, he could see no title adorning some of them. Could it be that those were albums? There seemed to be folders mixed in as well...at least, he assumed those were folders. Somehow, he wasn't so sure with the unusual presentation and Sōma decided to just drop it in favor of examining the rest of the room.

There was another armchair across from the one Erina had been occupying and a mahogany desk (with its own chair) at the back of the room. On second thought, maybe it wasn't so much of a library than an office. Satisfied with his conclusion, Sōma let his eyes fall back on the blonde - or rather where she was supposed to be since his sight was only met by air. Looking down, he found her crouched on the floor as she apparently put the album she had been looking at back in place.

"You're done already?" Sōma asked in light surprise as he stepped towards her. It hadn't seemed like she would move anytime soon when he had entered after all.

Erina merely glanced at him before finishing to align the album with the other and slowly standing up once again. "Yes." she simply answered as she turned towards the door, seemingly done with the place altogether. "I'll come back down later during the week." she added as she reached for the door and turned the knob to step out, Sōma in tow.

"Oh, okay." Sōma only said in response as he closed the door behind him and as they began to walk, casually took Erina's hand in his. Amethyst eyes darted down at their now joined hands then up to his golden ones in inquiry but the redhead only grinned and tightened his hold on her hand before continuing with the conversation as if nothing had happened, ignoring the confusion he had just created. "Say, who was the blonde woman I saw in the album?"

Erina's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected question and she stared at the boy in silence for a while, silently considering her options. She could refuse to respond since it had nothing to do with him or she could humor him by actually answering his query. In the end, she decided to go with the latter. It wouldn't hurt anyway.

"My mother." Erina declared in a sense of finality, clearly expecting him not to ask any further but the meaning was obviously lost on him because he pursued the subject.

"Hmm. I feel like I've seen her before..." Sōma said as he tried to lift his right hand to his chin and adopt a pensive stance only to realize that his hand was still trapping Erina's and give up on the action. Erina only gave him a blank look and correctly interpreting it, he tacked on "Even before going inside your Tōtsuki residence and seeing her portrait."

That got Erina wondering just where he had seen her mother before since the lad apparently came from a small diner and she doubted he was up to date with what was going on in the culinary world back then - not that he seemed to be now - and would have had no opportunity to see her mother.

Thinking about it, it's been a while since she had last seen her herself. She couldn't even remember when the last time had been. Her grandfather rarely talked about her and she was a little afraid to ask. She feared what she would learn if she did...

"Erina! Yukihira-kun!" Alice's voice rose, effectively pulling them out of their thoughts as the 'couple' realized that they had reached the main hall and staircase.

They both turned to face her and Alice grinned as her red eyes lowered to their joint hands. Sōma only smiled back as Erina's own eyes did the same and she resisted the sudden urge to reclaim her freedom in favor of responding to her cousin.

"Alice. What is it?"

"Well, we were thinking about taking a walk before dinner." Alice explained and Erina finally took notice of their other companions standing by the door a few meters away. Good thing she had resisted that urge, it would have been hard to explain otherwise. "Do you two want to join us?" she proposed and Erina had half the mind to deny but thought better of it and was about to reply when Sōma beat her to it.

"Fine by me." he agreed before glancing at her and she nodded her agreement.

"Great!" Alice exclaimed in excitement, "Then let's go! The Sun won't stay out for long after all, it's already 17:30." she finished with a punctuated look towards the clock which was indeed indicating that time before grinning once again and turning on her heels to join the larger waiting group by the door with Ryō in tow. Sōma and Erina were soon to follow and soon enough, they were all out the door and exploring their surroundings, most for the second time and the others for the first.

They decided not to wander in the forest and found themselves following a path that led them to a meadow opening on the beach and bordered by the forest. They stopped to admire the view of the sunset over the sea and decided to sit on the grass to fully enjoy the view.

Sōma took a seat next to his 'girlfriend' and missing the warmth of her hand which he had to let go of when she sat down, wasted no time in reclaiming it, entwining their fingers as he went. Erina let him, briefly wondering when he had become so touchy-feely as she lifted her eyes to her 'boyfriend'. She was a little taken aback to find him staring back at her with an expression she couldn't quite describe with anything but soft. She felt her cheeks warm up as blood made its way upwards and she tried to fight it with little success and soon let her gaze fly back on the postcard-like scenery. Sōma soon followed her lead but not before casting one last fond smile in her direction. The girl really was adorable with that light blush adorning her face.

Unbeknownst to the couple, red eyes were carefully watching the exchange and a satisfied smirk made its way to their owner's lips. It was really pleasant to see that her efforts were not in vain. This vacation was really perfect for the two to get closer. Hopefully, her cousin would realize her feelings before the end of it and of course, she had lots of plans for it to happen. An excited glint shone in Alice's bright eyes as she let her attention slide from the couple to the sunset once more. She just couldn't wait for the next day to come. It was going to be so much fun!

A Cheshire cat grin stretched her lips, sending a shiver down Erina's spine a few feet away from her as the atmosphere around the blonde suddenly turned uneasy, an ominous feeling settling at the pit of her stomach.

She was going to make sure of it.

* * *

 _Tbc…_

 _Yosh = alright_

 _Answer to guest reviews:_

 **Haru:** I hope because I feel really bad making you wait so long each time ^^' He is, he is! XD Well, we had a bit of Megumi's side here ;) We'll probably have more in the next chaps as well ;D

 **Sorina:** XD I hope nobody noticed XD But I'm glad if it could help you relax x) Well, I'm wondering about that as well :/ I thought we could have a glimpse and learn more about her with Joichiro's story but it looks like that's not going to happen anytime soon -_- We're back to the training now lol ^^' Oh well. I hope they'll talk about his mom at some point in the future though :/ Glad you understand :D x) I really do feel bad for Megumi but well ^^' Loved writing that kiss scene and she certainly will is she does find out about it at some point. Hmm, I totally should have her find out XD Thank you and I'm really happy to know that you enjoyed it x)

 **Selpi:** Yup ;) Some one-shots lol XD Two to be exact.  Fright and Under the Mistletoe lol ;D Hmm, no New Year's special though. If I write one at some point, it'll be a super late one XD ^^' It has lol ^^' Sorry for the wait (Also, I can't reply to you before updating so well, sorry for the late answers to your questions?)

 **Serine:** Yup XD Well, honestly, I thought it would be her too but well… ^^' I'll see what I can do about that XD ;D

 **Kaito1412:** Same :/ But well, hopefully Megumi will find her happiness too x)

 **Nonono:** Well, I'm sorry to hear that. Honestly, changing it would only affect the story flow and I hate to use the same word over and over again -' I'm sorry but I can't do anything about that. Sorry.

 **Atsuko:** XD They did XD I really wanted to have them kiss lol XD If you knew how much I'm restraining myself lol XD He totally realized how he feels ;) Next is Erina lol XD He will lol x) Now, he'll be way more open and well, it can all pass under the 'pretense' thing anyway so he doesn't even have to explain himself lol ;) You're welcome and I'm happy that you liked it :D It's okay lol x) Well, that will take some more time but it'll come along lol XD …I hoped I would too but well…sorry for the wait ^^'

 **Guest** (1) **:** Glad you liked it :D Here is chapter 23 ;) Hope you'll enjoy ^^

 **Yuki:** I wrote two Sorina one-shots recently, Fright and Under the Mistletoe :) I'm happy to know that x) Thank you and hope you'll continue to enjoy this ;)

 **Guest** (2) **:** Sorry for the wait ^^' But glad to know you enjoyed it x)

 **Pansy25:** I do too ;) He did lol XD Though well, I'd say his father is a special case. I'd say it was a little more complex than jealousy even if it basically was just that lol. Yeah :/ Megumi is really sweet. You know what? That's a good idea XD We'll see if it goes that way but that's food for thought ;)

 _Thanks to all the guest reviewers and the registered ones :D_ _ **JuniorL Cloud, Gallian Squad 7, WolfKinx, madeyemoody95, silentworld94, HelL4DAluCarD, OrangeSpark5555, raydark182, LoveGlutton, DBZZY, JeGosu, Dante Crailman, MasterE.N.D, Generation Zero, Justinsj5, Hashtagnalu2021, MariTami, Eramis8, FirstStory, Weekly Manga, woofy, Skytte, SsinofPride, nagitochris, Chaos537, edna vibritannia, Pineapple-Lady-sama, HiragaSaito16, Spaded Ace18**_ _and_ _ **cherryblossom321**_ _:D_

 _Have I mentioned that I love you guys? Yes? Well, I'm saying it again, I love you x) And thanks for being so patient ^^' I hate waiting myself so I really hate to make you all wait too but well… :/ And really, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with me x) I love to read what you have to say and it motivates me ^^ Really, thank you :)_

 _Mata ne_


	24. Reviving from ashes

_Hey guys :)_

… _well, had some trouble with this chap. Note at the bottom. For now, let's get right into the chapter :D …might feel like a filler though ^^' But it sets some things up for the future chapters :) Hope you'll enjoy ^^_

 _As always, thank you for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing :D :D_

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own SnS.

* * *

 **Chapter 24: Reviving from ashes**

* * *

"What is this?" Erina asked carefully as she regarded her white-haired cousin expectantly.

Alice turned towards her cousin and blinked uncomprehendingly. After a little moment of silence during which she regarded her cousin as if she couldn't even begin to understand why she was asking such a stupid question, she opened her mouth to answer cautiously "...a mall?"

A vein pulsed against Erina's temple as she glared at the white-haired girl. "I can see that!" she exclaimed before reformulating her question. "What I'm asking is why did you suddenly feel the need to bring us all here just after breakfast." she explained as she threw a meaningful glance at the group of chef teenagers surrounding them as they stood a little after the main entrance of the mall.

"Hmm?" Alice hummed questioningly as she cutely tilted her head to the side. "To do some shopping of course!" she exclaimed enthusiastically as she grinned at her cousin.

Erina didn't buy it for a second. Alice being Alice, there was surely a reason why she'd bring them here of all places. She was about to voice as much when Alice cut her off.

"Besides, I heard that there's gonna be a fireworks festival around here on Thursday so we can shop for yukatas too." the white-haired girl added, excitement dripping from her voice and it suddenly made a lot more sense to the blonde heiress. It was to be expected that Alice would want to go all out about that kind of event.

Erina sighed as she took the time to glance around the mall herself.

It was a three-stories building it seemed and it sheltered a grand variety of shops going from clothing and accessories to food stalls and restaurants. She had a feeling they'd have to stay the day to actually go through everything and even then she doubted they would be able to visit every single shop. Honestly, she would have expected them to go shopping a little later during the week but well, she guessed they could as well go now. Though she'd have to call her grandfather when they went back since he had said he'd call her back today.

Oh well. She actually never really had the chance to go leisurely shopping before so she was looking forward to it a little.

A small smile stretched her lips as she let excitement slowly seep through her. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad to just go with it for once.

* * *

Erina was already starting to regret her earlier thoughts. Why did she think it might turn out to be a pleasant experience again? She honestly couldn't recall and she cursed her previous foolish self. Nothing that had Alice for origin turned out to be completely pleasant.

...okay, maybe not _nothing_ but recently, it seemed like Alice really enjoyed seeing her uncomfortable. Why had she even fathomed that this would be any different, she sincerely didn't know anymore. She was way too busy glaring at the mirror standing still in front of her to remember about that.

Truthfully, there was nothing wrong with her reflection. The yukata that was now encasing her figure was really beautiful too. It was a beautiful color gradient going from fuschia at the top to violet at the hem and it was decorated with big yellow-orange-winged red-bodied butterfly-like figures and some hot yellow soft color spots here and there. The obi was hot yellow and red and provided a nice contrast with the dominant purple of the cloth.

As she admired it, Erina couldn't help the light blush that rose and engulfed her face. She could barely believe that it was Yukihira-kun who had chosen it for her. She still remembered his focused expression as he went through the female yukatas to find one who would fit her.

How did that happen? ...was that really a question when Alice was involved?

 _ **Fifteen minutes earlier, second floor of the mall**_

The whole group were currently making their way to the yukata shop after Alice had enthusiastically proposed for them to go buy some yukatas and accessories for the coming festival together before eventually separating in groups to go explore the mall and visit the shops that attracted them.

It really wouldn't have been a problem and Erina had been honestly looking forward to it until they had actually entered the shop and Alice had dragged her (and her boyfriend who was currently holding her hand) a little behind and whispered, "Why don't you let your boyfriend choose a yukata for you, Erina?" loudly enough so that the rest of their companions who were still inspecting the contents of the shop could hear her as well.

They clearly didn't have the same definition of the word _whisper_.

Erina had been about to decline when Sōma had grinned and agreed, saying "Why not? It'd be interesting." while turning expectant and enthusiastic eyes towards her. By then, her fate had been sealed and she had quietly followed her boyfriend in his search while the other girls looked for their own yukata.

Well, now that she was actually wearing the yukata he picked for her and standing in front of the glass, she realized that she had greatly underestimated the embarrassment factor of the whole ordeal. And he was waiting for her to exit the fitting room to see how it fell on her.

"Nakiri? Are you done yet?" Sōma asked, confirming that fact.

Casting one last glance on her form, she steeled her will and turned towards the curtain to open it before the courage to do so left her.

As soon as the curtain was pushed aside, she was met with the cross-armed form of her expectant 'boyfriend'. His golden eyes widened significantly at the sight of her and slowly traveled down to inspect the clothing. The color was really complementing her and brought her eyes out even more than usual. Erina had opted for a high bun while she tried it on and Sōma couldn't help but think that this had been a smart choice.

Erina was starting to feel self-conscious under his intense gaze when his eyes traveled back up to meet hers. There was something in them that made her blush and she silently willed her face to stop growing hotter but to no avail. The silence was beginning to be too much for her to bear and she was about to break it when he beat her to it.

"Beautiful."

And Erina's face promptly proceeded to explode. Or at least, it felt like it by how hot it suddenly was. By now, she was sure she was doing a fairly good impersonation of a tomato and after a few seconds during which she could only stare at the redhead in stunned and embarrassed silence, she hastily retreated in the safety of her dressing room.

Her heart was beating like crazy in her chest and she willed it to slow down at a normal rate as she clutched her chest and slowly looked up at the mirror. Like she had thought, her face was completely red. She just hoped it wouldn't be permanent.

Ten minutes later, when Erina exited the dressing room once again, her face was significantly less red and her normal clothes, a simple blouse paired with a jean, were back on her person. She did her best to avoid looking at the redhead, even when he took her hand affectionately and led her to the accessories section where Alice was waving at them. Apparently, she had found the perfect accessory to go with Erina's yukata and presented them with it.

Erina momentarily freed her hand to receive it and examine it. It was a big bicolor flower which lower part was violet and upper one, fuschia. It would indeed be a nice ornament for her hair and the added pearls were really nice too.

 _Hmm...I'll take it._

Erina thanked Alice and followed her to the cashier after telling Sōma to wait for her at the exit. The other girls were already queuing there now that she took the time to look around, each of them with a yukata hanging off their arms or bag in their hands.

It seemed like she'd have to wait for the actual festival to see which yukatas they had chosen for themselves then.

Approximately fifteen minutes later, Erina found herself walking around the mall alone with her 'boyfriend'. After visiting the yukata store, they had decided to split up and she had ended up being 'forced' to go around with Yukihira-kun.

Not that she minded his presence as much as before but well. Since the day before, he took her hand every chance he got and she just didn't understand what had brought that sudden change. Was he only immersing himself in his role as her boyfriend? It didn't seem to be as simple as that.

"Do you have any particular store you want to visit?" Sōma asked, pulling her from her musings.

"What?" Erina asked in return, blinking as she refocused on her surroundings.

Sōma stopped walking and turned around to face her. He stared at her for a while in silence and Erina tensed.

"Wh-what is it?"

"You...you weren't listening to me, right?" Sōma sighed. "I asked if you wanted me to kiss you."

Erina's whole face turned red as she exclaimed in frustration "You didn't say that!"

"Oh? So you actually heard me?" Sōma asked as one of his eyebrows rose and a teasing glint shone in his eyes. And Erina's blood boiled in frustration and embarrassment. Well, she hadn't actually been listening to him but she was sure she would have noticed if he had said something like that. If she waited long enough he'd probably repeat what he had said anyway.

Sure enough, he met her expectations. "So? What stores do you want to visit now?" Sōma asked, not letting his gaze slide away from the blonde.

As Erina's blush finally receded, she took the time to think about it. She didn't really have any particular shops she wanted to visit but since she rarely goes out like that, she wouldn't really mind taking the time to visit the ones he wanted to or the ones they passed by.

She voiced her thoughts "I have no particular preference."

Sōma hummed in thought before putting his free hand in his pocket. "Well, I don't really wanna look at any store except the food stalls and restaurants so..." he trailed off as he let his gaze meet hers. "Let's just wander around then? If anything catches either of our attention, we'll go in. How does that sound?"

Erina took a second to think about it before nodding. "Sounds good."

Sōma grinned before nodding himself and looking around before finally deciding to go left. "Let's start this way then?" he said, nodding to his left.

The only answer he got was Erina tugging him along as she stubbornly started to walk towards the right. That brought a laugh out of Sōma even as he let himself be dragged along and he shook his head in amusement. "Or we can go right." he stated cheerfully before catching up to her to stand by her side and matching his pace to hers as they both started to look around curiously.

After a few minutes of walking around and observing his surroundings, Sōma felt a light tug on his hands and stopped in his tracks. Turning towards his companion, he found her mesmerized by a store on their right. The bookstore.

A warm smile stretched his lips as he spoke "Wanna go in?"

Erina seemed a bit startled by the sound of his voice and took a second or two to process his question. When she finally did, she only nodded at him in response, eliciting a chuckle from the redhead which made Erina frown in return.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Nothing." Sōma answered as he suppressed the laughter and let an amused smile hang on his face.

"It's obviously not nothing." Erina countered as she tried to glare at him. It turned out to be more of a slightly reprimanding look since the excitement had yet to leave her eyes.

"No, no, it's nothing really. Let's go in." Sōma said as he lightly shook his head and started to make his way to the bookstore.

Inside, they eventually found their way to the _shoujo_ section and Erina couldn't help but stare in amazement at all those mangas. She recognized some of them and others, she had never even seen before.

She barely knew where to start. So many mangas she wanted to try and so many she wanted to just buy but she probably wouldn't have enough space in her luggage...though she could always send them to her main mansion but then again, if she did that, she wouldn't be able to read them immediately, right?

Lost in her own world, she failed to notice the amusement bubbling inside her companion. One of the only times he had seen Erina that excited before was when he had taken her to the aquarium and even then, it had been a somewhat different experience since she had been widely looking around, trying to take in everything her eyes met. This time, she was seemingly frozen in thought and couldn't decide what to do.

Either way, it looked like they'd be stuck here for a while so he'd better look at some books himself. Should he start with some _shounen_ first? It shouldn't be too far from the _shoujo_ section after all. And then he'd go check out the cooking section...hopefully with the princess in tow. Maybe there would be some interesting ones.

Nodding to himself in satisfaction, Sōma glanced at Erina a last time before turning around and looking for the _shounen_ section.

It wasn't before an hour had passed that they finally left the library, both content with their purchases. In the end, Erina had opted for delivering two series she had found interesting directly at her main mansion and bought a short series to read during her stay if she got the chance. On his side, Sōma had bought a book about local cuisine and ingredients. Maybe he'd find some interesting stuff in it to try later. He'd have to go and see if he could find some ingredients the next day. For now, he'd just check it out carefully.

Anyway, now that they were out of the bookstore, Sōma and Erina were back to wandering around the mall (hand in hand as that was rapidly becoming the norm somehow) and looking for stores that would catch their eye.

As they were passing by a flower store, Erina's eyes fell on an unusual rose. Its petals were white and red as if someone had painted them and splashed red over it. Stopping when he felt a tug on his hand, Sōma turned toward Erina and peeked over her shoulder to see what she was looking at so intently.

Grinning when his golden eyes fell on the flower, Sōma's grin widened. "Wanna go in to check it out?"

"Huh?"

Erina blinked as she looked up to find Yukihira's face only a few inches from her own. Flushing, she abruptly backed down and almost tripped in her haste but quickly regained her balance. Then, mustering the fiercer glare she could at the moment, she set her amethyst eyes on the redhead looking at her in concern.

"Would you stop invading my personal space like that already?!"

Sōma brought his hand to scratch his neck in mid embarrassment only to stop his motion when he realized he was still holding the blonde's hand and opted for shifting his gravity center instead.

"Well, I didn't mean to scare you this time." he said with a sheepish grin.

"This time!?" Erina exploded as soon as the words were out of his mouth.

"Ah, no," Sōma tried as an uncomfortable laugh escaped his lips, "it's just at you always make interesting expressions whenever I do. I don't actually want to scare you."

Erina only scowled in response. "Aaah?!"

"It's fun to see your different expressions." Sōma grinned. "Plus, it's cute when your face turns red."

As if emphasizing his last comment, Erina's face instantly turned bright red. She tried to make it go away but was unsuccessful. How could he say such things with a straight face?

 _This guy..._

Unable to make a comeback, Erina was reduced to staring incredulously at the guy whose hair was probably a mirror of her face's color at the moment. He really knew how to embarrass her with minimal effort...

Unruffled by her lack of answer, Sōma grinned at her and pulled her inside the store. A bell ringed as the door opened soon followed by a warm "Welcome" from the vendor. As they made their way to the rose section, Erina let herself be distracted from her thoughts by the white and red rose that had caught her attention earlier.

They were in the middle of admiring it when the florist's voice rang from behind them. "It's a candy cane rose." she simply said with a smile and they both turned to face her properly. "We just received them at the end of last week." the brown-haired woman continued, "Do you want one for your charming girlfriend?" she finished, addressing Sōma who briefly glanced at his reddening 'girlfriend' before looking back at the florist.

Erina really seemed to like the rose and it wouldn't hurt to buy one anyway, especially if it made her happy. "Yeah, I'll take one." he agreed with a smile and the woman picked up the one Erina had been looking at before leading them to the counter and disappearing in the back to prepare it.

She reappeared a few minutes later and Sōma took out his wallet to pay for it. Erina tried to protest and pay for it herself but was silenced when Sōma leaned in close, bringing his mouth to her ear (making her face grow hotter in the process) and whispered "Let me buy it for my 'girlfriend'." before kissing the shell of her ear.

As he straightened back and turned towards the florist with a bill for the flower, he was met with a flushed face. He blinked once and winked as comprehension dawned onto him which only made the woman blush harder. Her voice was strained when she sent them on their way with the customary "Thank you for your patronage. Come again."

They walked in front of a few more stores before Sōma stopped in his tracks and turned towards Erina with a soft smile. "For you, Princess." he said in an warm voice as he extended the rose towards her, leaning in to kiss her temple when she shyly took it which elicited a renewed blush.

At this point, Erina was pretty sure that she'd never see her face blush-free again with how often the redhead made her blood rush upwards when they were together, considering that that was the case more often than not recently. And there was the fact that he seemed even more...affectionate and touchy-feely since the episode at the beach. Somehow, she couldn't bring herself to hate it and it didn't really sit well with her.

What was there to like? Not that long ago, she couldn't even stand him being in the immediate vicinity and now, after that whole fiasco, here she was, slowly beginning to enjoy his warm hand holding hers and his unexpected kisses. What was wrong with her...? This was nothing but pretense...right? Sometimes, especially in those situations, she found herself forgetting it and revel in the moment - which was bad. Bad for her poor heart and bad in general because this was bound to come to an end anyway. She shouldn't let herself be taken by something that was bound to end.

Somehow, the thought only made her heart constrict as her eyes fell on the rose in her hand. It seemed to be the reflection of her mind, conflicting emotions mixing and swirling into a mysterious yet baffling painting.

* * *

"Let me taste yours!" Sōma exclaimed as he poked at Takumi's _jūshī_.

"Oi!" Takumi protested but in the time it took for him to look up, the meat Sōma had taken had already disappeared inside the redhead's mouth. A vein pulsed against the blond's temple. "Yukihira...!" he snarled in an ominous tone.

Sōma only grinned at him in response before swallowing and grinning even wider than before. "You can taste my _soba_ if you want."

"That's not the point!" Takumi snapped, "Stop stealing my food without asking!"

Sōma didn't even have the decency to look ashamed at that. He only grinned once more and extended his plate towards the blond who grudgingly took a bite from it.

"Don't make a scene Aniki." Isami reprimanded as he took a bite of his own plate. Takumi gritted his teeth in mortification and let out a strangled "Isami...!"

"Don't be so loud." Akira seconded without a single glance as he quietly took a bite of his _taco rice_.

Takumi turned towards him, startled "Not you too Hayama...!" before turning back towards his red-haired rival with frustrated tears in his eyes. "It's all your fault!"

Sōma only grinned at him once more, completely unrepentant before turning towards Erina who was quietly eating her _rafute_. "Let me taste yours?" he asked in a hopeful voice but the girl barely looked at him. He was starting to think she wouldn't share when she placed a small portion of her dish in his plate. He turned to her with a grin as she resumed eating as if nothing happened. "Thanks!" Sōma said, already taking it between his chopsticks.

Approximately an hour and half after visiting the flower shop, Sōma and Erina had met up with the others at the food level and found a store that sold local Okinawan dishes. Unsurprisingly, they had picked this one and tried to choose as many different dishes as possible to taste as many as they could.

So far, it had been a rather uneventful lunch, setting aside the fact that uneventful was hardly a thing with Polar Star dorm residents involved and Erina just relinquished in the relative peace it offered to her heart while she could. She had always known that being with Sōma was bad for her health but recently, it had reached a whole other level. Thankfully, her face was now blush-free and she couldn't help but sigh in relief and gratefulness over that fact. She didn't particularly want her cousin to see her like that as she'd never let her live it down, like never. So her plan was to avoid blushing or revealing what happened between them two as long as she possibly could.

Her plans were completely and utterly ruined when red eyes fell on the rose that she had saved from falling and replaced in her lap.

"Where did this rose come from?" Alice asked curiously and a single thought passed through Erina's mind. _Crap._

She was about to try and find a plausible explanation that wouldn't give too much away when Sōma beat her to it.

"Hmm? The rose? I bought it for her." he said before resuming eating as if he hadn't just dropped a bomb and sealed her definitely shivering and headache-inducing near future.

As Erina had expected, a Chesire cat-like smile soon made its way on Alice's lips as she let out a simple "Eh..." in a definitely cunning and slightly curious voice and Erina had never hated her life as much as she did now - scratch that, she had before, when she had first heard the rumors and when they failed to die out after punishing that... _journalist_. And when Alice had first exposed her 'brilliant' plan. She had even wished she could disappear at some point and be reborn under other circumstances, or maybe just fly far, far away from Japan. That would have worked too. Probably.

But it was definitely getting close to that feeling. It got even closer when Alice inquired about the whole rose ordeal and Sōma just nonchalantly answered, shamelessly digging her grave in front of her very eyes. She managed to stop him from saying too much by stuffing some _rafute_ into his opened mouth which earned her a surprised look from him to which she responded with a fierce glare that threatened to make him see hell if he continued talking. While he seemed unfazed by the ominous look, he consented to shut up about the subject and started to talk about the _rafute_ and the other Okinawan dishes he had heard of and wanted to taste with his friends.

Erina breathed a sigh of relief before closing her eyes for a second. She'd have to tell him not to do that again as soon as they'd be back in the villa.

Well, at least, that was the plan. It didn't quite go that way.

Upon arriving at the villa in the middle of the afternoon, Erina received a call from her grandfather. She had been expecting it so she answered immediately, curious about what he wanted from her that he couldn't ask Alice. It turned out that he only wanted her to recover documents from the library/study. For a moment, she wanted to ask why Alice wasn't cut out for the job but when she actually thought about it, she couldn't really imagine Alice doing it - not that she couldn't but she'd probably just try to have someone else do it, namely herself.

...when you thought about it like this it made sense to ask her directly.

Erina sighed as she resigned herself to her fate and asked her grandfather for more precisions on the localization of the needed file.

Immediately after finishing dinner, she excused herself from her companions and went on with her search.

* * *

Ruffling sounds filled the room as Erina went through the numerous files present in the library.

 _Hmm...it should be around here..._ Erina thought as she moved a file to the side and parted some others, briefly wondering why there were so many files in their secondary residence...well, they used to come here often in the past and it's a great place if you want to take a breather so she guessed that must have been why.

Sorting through some other files, she finally put her hand on the document she was looking for.

 _Finally!_ Erina thought as a small smile made its way to her lips. But it soon disappeared when her eyes fell on the opened file that fell when she pulled the one she had been searching free. Her breath caught and she froze into place as the color drained from her face.

 _That...why...?_

* * *

Sōma carefully knocked on the door connecting their two rooms and waited for a while but no response came from the other side. He frowned a bit as he quietly opened the door and peeked inside. There was no sign of the blonde anywhere in the room.

 _Hmm._

He frowned a bit as he closed the door and crossed his arms. It had been a few hours since Erina had left the dining hall and there had been no sign of her ever since. He had looked for her since she had mentioned wanting to have a word with him earlier that day but they hadn't had the chance and he just couldn't seem to find her. She wasn't in her room, Alice had no idea where she could be and the staff didn't see her going out.

 _Just where could she be...?_

Sōma brought his hand to his chin in thought as he tried to think of places Erina could have gone to. After a second, his arms fell to his sides as he sweat dropped. He didn't know the villa that much so it was kinda pointless to do that...

 _Ah! Maybe...the library?_

It was worth checking.

Without wasting more time, Sōma started to make his way to the villa's library and soon found himself before the wooden door. Not bothering to knock, he entered the room and let his eyes slide over the room. He quickly spotted blond hair behind the desk and smiled as he made his way to her.

"That's where you've been all this time. I was looking for you." he said as he walked before coming to a stop in front of her.

She was holding a file in her hands and he supposed she had been reading it at some point but now it just lay limply there, almost falling out of her hold. She didn't look like she heard him and looking closer, it was obvious to see. Erina's face was extremely pale as if she had seen a ghost and her eyes were wide in fear. Tremor seemed to shake her entire being as she stared unseeingly at the paper in front of her.

It was the first time Sōma had seen her like that.

"Nakiri?" he called out carefully as he bent down to meet her eyes. What he saw there made him freeze in bewilderment. Words were not enough to express the look she had in her eyes. It was so much more than simple fear, she was completely terrorized to say the least and it unsettled Sōma greatly. If she hadn't even noticed him when he was so close to her then something was terribly wrong.

"...Erina?"

* * *

 _Tbc…_

 _So, I've got an important question for you guys. *drum rolls* What do you want to happen during the days for during the rest of the trip? I've got the nights mainly figured out but days' activities are bit… ^^' That's part of the reason I took so long to update… -'_

 _Anyway, I'm open to all ideas but it has to be compatible with Okinawa and well, the beach is out. They can go whenever lol. Naturally, I won't be able to use them all but it'll really motivate me and help me out of this slump :) So feel free to tell me ^^_

 _Answers to guest reviews:_

 **Ryn kun:** Here some more ;) Yeah…I actually feel bad for her too :/ Well, that's a possibility ;) Thanks :) Happy to know you're enjoying it ^^

 **Atsuko:** Hey ^^ …I am profoundly sorry. I hate waiting myself so I feel bad about making you wait so long all the time… That said, just check every two weeks or sthg? I usually take at least two weeks to come up with a new chap though recently it upped to a month… Indeed, SnS IS about cooking XD Can't just ignore it lol XD My pleasure and I hope so too… :/

 **JeGosu:** Right? XD Love her to pieces XD

 **DBZzy:** Glad you thought so :) Lol XD It'd be hilarious but sadly, that's not the case here lol ;)

 **Kaito1412:** Hmm…well, I thought about it at some point but I think I might not go along with this. I think I'll stuck with them meeting the other's parent :)

 **Nova:** …sorry ^^' I'm kinda more into descriptions and stuff ^^' But I'll try to put some more :)

 **Guest:** Heeey XD Welcome :D Oh, thanks :) Though it's really all thanks to all of you guys ^^ I'm really happy that you're enjoying it as it goes and thanks for taking the time to tell me ^^ ;D

 **Izra:** Welcome back then :) I guess it's cool not to have to wait for each and every chapter to come out… ^^' XD Here is the latest one ;) Hope you enjoyed :)

 **Haru:** Yup XD ME TOO! ;( I'm still waiting :( I guess they won't appear unless it's for a story development. Yeah, I think so too ;) He certainly is XD

 **Selpi:** Here it is :D Chapter 24 though ;) And thanks the little reminder ^^

 _Thanks to all the guest reviewers and the registered ones :D_ _ **WolfKinx, Gallian Squad 7, silentworld94, cherryblossom321, , ChaosOmega8, OrangeSpark555, WriterMushroom, sarara1.8, Yveltal45, The VampireStrahd, HelL4DAluCarD, madeyemoody95, Hinate, Generation Zero, FirstStory, MasterE.N.D, Eramis8, Userunfriendly, raydark182, Skytte, suckerz100, Irza, Celestia's Paladin, HiragaSaito16, emmaswan2810, BlackZ3r0**_ _and_ _ **kiba zero**_ _:D_

 _Well, let's hope chap 25 won't take as much time to complete… -' And thanks for putting up with me :)_

 _Ja ne ~_


	25. To fight the regenerating fire

_Hello guys ^^_

… _I tried to update in March but well... Anyway, thank you all for all the ideas! :D I'll probably start using them next chapter. ;)_

 _Thanks for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing. :D_

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own SnS.

* * *

 **Chapter 25: To fight the regenerating fire**

* * *

 _Is she...trembling?_

It was the first time that Sōma had seen Erina in such a state. Just what could have happened for her to end up like that...?

Hmm. It probably had something to do with the file she was holding, right?

...just what could it be about?

Stepping forwards, Sōma gently but firmly took the file out of her grasp. Letting his eyes roam over it, he tried to see what could have been the cause of that reaction and a name caught his attention.

"Nakiri...Azami?" he whispered and this seemed to get through the heiress who suddenly took a step back, terror still written all over her face.

Light seemed to penetrate her purple eyes as she shakily looked up and recognition shone into them. "...Yukihira...-kun ?" she whispered on a breath as she finally seemed to take notice of her surroundings.

"Hey." Sōma replied with a small smile, "You disappeared for a while so I was looking for you," he explained and Erina slowly nodded in acknowledgment, seemingly a little less terrified than she had been a few moments ago. However, she didn't answer verbally and Sōma decided to place the file on the desk before turning back toward the shivering girl with a gentle smile. "Then, let's go back to our rooms." he proposed casually and without waiting for an answer, stepped toward his 'girlfriend' before bending down to take her in his arms, wrapping his arms under her thighs. Then, he picked her up, eliciting a small surprised "Eh?" from Erina.

Ignoring it, he started to make his way to the door as Erina struggled a bit against his embrace.

"Let me go." she demanded quietly with a hint of embarrassment laced with slight irritation as she tried to push him away which brought a relieved grin on Sōma's lips. If she could muster such emotions then she would be just fine.

But this and that were two different stories.

"Nope, can't do." he answered nonchalantly as he closed the library's door behind them and began to make his way to their rooms. "And if you move too much, we're both gonna fall down the stairs."

"I can walk..." Erina protested one more time to which Sōma calmly replied with a slight teasing "I know."

After that, Erina stopped struggling and merely let him carry her to her room, unable to care more about it at the moment. And if she was being completely honest, she was rather glad for his warmth at the moment...her blood was starting to warm up once again after turning so cold earlier. For now, she'd allow him to keep carrying her.

 _Just for now though._ Erina thought as she buried her face in Sōma's neck and clenched her fists around his shirt.

* * *

 _Just where could she be?_ Alice thought as she closed the door of Erina's room and paused in the corridor to think for a second. She wanted to know more about the rose's story but she just couldn't seem to find Erina anywhere.

 _Hmm...maybe Ryō-kun saw them._ she thought as she crossed the corridor to her own room, intending to use the door connecting their two rooms but she never got the chance because just as she was about to, she heard heavy footsteps coming that way and her curiosity got the better of her. Peeking through the door, she waited for a while and when she finally discovered the origin of that noise, her red eyes widened in surprise.

Rounding the corner were Erina and Sōma. This alone wasn't really that surprising but the thing was that Sōma was carrying Erina in his arms and the latter was actually clinging onto him without putting up a fight or protesting. Now, _that_ was new. And was she actually...trembling? ... _Erina_ was? ...what could have happened...?

Alice watched the two of them in concern until they disappeared into Sōma's room. Should she go as well...? An image of her cousin clutching Yukihira-kun's shirt came back to her mind and she decided otherwise. Maybe she'd be fine with just Yukihira-kun for now...

But now, she had to take her mind off it. Closing her door, she frowned before sighing and opening the door leading to Ryō's room. He'd probably be able to distract her for the time being.

* * *

 _Now what?_ Sōma thought as he closed the door behind them. _Maybe it's better if we stay in my room for the time being. I don't really feel like leaving her alone when she's in that state..._

Letting his golden eyes rest on the slightly shivering girl, Sōma reaffirmed his hold on her and headed for his bed. Then sitting down on the edge, he installed the blonde in his lap and tightly wrapped his arms around her shivering form. Erina merely buried her face in his chest in response, trying to stop herself from trembling any longer.

It took her a long time before she finally succeeded and even when she did, she couldn't bring herself to break free from Sōma's embrace for some reason so she decided to stay like that for a while longer.

Or at least that was the plan but it seemed like Sōma had another one in mind.

"You're feeling better now?" he asked softly, pulling away a bit to be able to look at her but Erina kept her head low so he found himself unable to see her face. Sighing in defeat, he fell back into his former position, giving her a squeeze while he was at it. Sōma let the silence hang around them for a while before he spoke up again.

"What happened?" he asked in a gentle tone but as soon as he uttered the two words, he felt Erina's body tense in his arms.

Maybe he shouldn't have asked...but he was concerned about her and wanted to help her get over it somehow. Though he wouldn't insist. If she wanted to talk then she would and if she didn't, he wouldn't pry. It didn't really have anything to do with him after all and he wasn't the type to force her to talk about it so it all came down to her.

Silence fell upon them once again and Sōma was beginning to wonder if Erina would talk at all when he heard her take a deep breath in so he decided to keep waiting quietly.

After five more minutes or so, Erina finally started to talk.

"I- Nakiri Azami...he's my father." she started in a quiet voice, taking a small pause before continuing. "This document followed his whereabouts...it said that he's...he's back in Japan." she stated and as the words left her tongue, she started to shiver once again.

Sōma briefly wondered why that was such a bad thing but he guessed every family had their own circumstances. And seeing how scared she seemed to be after learning that fact, something must have happened between them...he highly doubted they had a good relationship.

Gripping Sōma's shirt even harder, Erina burrowed her face in his chest in an attempt to calm herself a bit. After a while, she managed to get some composure back and tried to explain further.

"A little after Alice went back to Denmark, he...started to teach me about...cooking." she started in a trembling voice, barely above a whisper and then, as if she had opened the tap, the words kept flowing and before she even realized it, she had told him everything, her training, her father's words, her trauma, her fear of the consequences that would follow should she disobey, everything.

As she talked, Sōma listened silently without pressing her, he let her discharge her heart of its burden, only holding her and staring at the wall facing him. Her family really was messed up. No wonder she had ended up like that. In the end, she only was a fragile and scarred girl who was putting on a strong front.

When she was done talking, Erina fell silent once again and Sōma tightened his hold on her a little in support instead of offering words of empty comfort that he couldn't bring himself to muster. What did you even say in this kind of situation anyway? He wasn't sure as he hadn't really been in this kind of situation before. So he preferred to offer his silent but more physical comfort in lieu of words.

As time passed, Erina's trembling slowly faded as she was held close to Sōma's warm body and gradually began to relax, letting the new facts fade away from her mind, storing them in a far corner for the time being.

Sōma continued to hold onto the blonde as his thoughts wandered around the things she had told him. He didn't think he could do anything to help at this point but it would be nice if she could confront her father without being afraid at some point.

Speaking of fathers, he wondered what his own dad was up to right now. Last time he had heard from him, he was...where again? Somewhere in Europe if he recalled correctly...Spain maybe? Ah no, France. He had been in France at the time. ...or maybe he had just planned to go there afterward. It didn't really matter that much anyway since he seemed to be moving a lot across the world.

But he kinda wondered how he was doing and how he had met and chosen his mother. Maybe he'd give him a call later...

When Sōma refocused on his surroundings, the first thing he noticed was that Erina had stopped trembling. Heaving a sigh of relief, he kept on holding her for a while longer before her even and calm breathing caught his attention.

 _Did she..._

Pulling away enough to see her face and lifting up her chin a bit, he was met with the sleeping face of a Nakiri Erina.

 _... Seriously...?_

It wasn't the first time that she had fallen asleep on him (though the first time had been much more surprising considering the fact that they had been in motion) but still... This time, it was even worse since they were in his room, on his bed.

...was this some kind of test or something? It was way too tempting to just kiss her here and there but well, he couldn't really just take advantage of her like that now, could he...

Golden eyes slid on rosy plump lips and stayed there for a while as their owner briefly wondered what they would taste like against his own. Shaking his head a bit to dislodge the thought, Sōma sighed and decided to take her to her own bed instead. He didn't trust himself not to do anything at all if he had to sleep next to her all night long in his own room and she needed to rest after going through all those emotions.

After readjusting his hold on the now sleeping girl who pressed herself even closer to him in response causing Sōma to stop in his movements for a second before regaining his senses, the redhead stood up and stepped towards the door connecting their two rooms. Freeing one of his hands, he opened it and stepped into the blonde's room.

Making his way to the queen bed standing in the center of the room, he pulled the sheets open and delicately placed the sleeping girl in them. Then, he put the sheets over her - or rather he tried to. He found the task impossible when he was faced with the fact that the blonde had yet to let go of him. Looking up at her face, he noticed her peaceful expression was now gone, replaced by a deep frown. Was the bed too cold for her? That was one very plausible explanation and one he confirmed a few seconds later when he tried to detach her from him only to be pulled towards her instead.

Losing his footing, Sōma fell on the bed, barely managing not to hit the girl in the process. Using his hands to regain some balance, he succeeded in lifting up from the bed, if only a bit since Erina was set on keeping him - or rather his warmth - as close as she possibly could. Somehow, he couldn't bring himself to shake her off with more force than what he was already using.

After a while of trying in vain, he stilled over her as he looked down at the still slumbering girl.

 _... Now what?_

He couldn't really spend the night with her...it'd be too troublesome since she probably wouldn't remember much in the morning and would certainly snap at him as she usually did. He sweat dropped at the thought and weighed his options. He could forcefully shake her off or stay. Hmm. Or maybe he could stay for a bit until the bed warmed up enough for her to not stop him again...? That sounded like a plan.

Nodding in satisfaction, Sōma carefully settled next to the clinging girl who immediately scooted closer until she was resting flush against his body. Sōma's golden eyes widened in surprise as blood started to head towards the extremities of his body. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on keeping it in his normal course, preventing it from being redirected south. It wouldn't do him any good if a...problem popped up in this situation after all.

After a few minutes, he completely calmed down and allowed himself to open his eyes again, letting them rest on his sleeping princess. Sōma stared at her in silence, noting her relaxed features, the slight opening created by her parted lips, her delicate usually furrowed eyebrows. All of this made him acknowledge the fact that she almost always seemed on edge when she was awake for some reason (conveniently not realizing that it could be considered his fault half of the time) and frankly, that relaxed face suited her much better. She just looked adorable like that, Sōma thought as he lovingly brushed a strand of hair away from her face before letting his arm hang loosely around her waist and let himself relax once again. It didn't look like she was going to let go anytime soon so he'd be there for a while anyway, better make his stay as comfortable as possible. Plus, he was getting kinda tired now, Sōma thought as he yawned silently.

 _Just a little nap then._ he thought before allowing his eyes to close once more, welcoming the accompanying darkness and the even breathing that slowly lulled him to sleep.

* * *

The sound of rustling sheets filled the morning air as the girl lying in the bed started to turn around, close to waking up - or at least she tried to but found the task harder than it should have been due to the...warm thing around her waist and...legs? Actually, it surrounded her whole body and prevented her from moving too much. Frowning in discontent, Erina cracked one of her purple eyes open.

Her vision slowly focused on the...thing in front of her and soon, she discovered a sleeping face. Her frown deepened as her mind slowly started to whirl as her eyes traveled said face in search of distinctive features before zooming on a red scarred brow.

 _... Eh?_

Erina's other eye popped open and she stared at it, too baffled to even begin to process just what was happening. When the sight in front of her didn't change, her mind cleared up in a flash and she rapidly freed herself from his grasp and scooted away as far as she possibly could, almost falling off the bed in the process.

 _Yukihira Sōma!?_

Erina could only stare at him in silence, wide-eyed and unable to even begin to comprehend the situation. Why was he here? Why was he sleeping in her bed? How did this happen? Just what was going on?!

Those were the questions circling in her mind as she felt panic slowly rise in her being before it stopped all of a sudden when flashes from the night before came back to mind. For what felt like a little eternity, Erina stayed in a perfectly frozen state, unable to even move at the light of exactly what had happened during the previous night. Then, mortification crashed upon her and she fervently wished for the ground to open beneath her and swallow her whole. The idea was way more attractive than the prospect of having to face the redhead after acting like that...

As if hearing that last thought, the boy stirred in his sleep, making Erina flinch as her mind started to whirl once more. What was she supposed to say? What was she supposed to do? Honestly, she didn't want to have to confront him at all after he had seen her at her weakest and didn't really know how to act around him now. Though that particular fact wasn't really something new now that she thought about it...

Ever since he had started to act differently, getting more touchy-feely and all, she didn't really know what to do with him even if she had to admit that it worked out well for their cover. But was that really all it was...? The thought had popped out once or twice before and she couldn't really answer assuredly that it indeed was only that. Or maybe she didn't really want it to be - what was she even thinking? There was no way it was like this so there was no point in even thinking about it, and she certainly couldn't find herself thinking that it wasn't.

Shaking her head to remove all thoughts going that way, Erina refocused on the problem at hand, Yukihira Sōma as always. But this time was actually worse since she woke up with her own limbs entangled with the boy's...how did that even happen, she couldn't even begin to answer that. Not that she had any memory going further than her being lulled to sleep by Sōma's breathing while in his lap and arms and -

 _ **POOF**_

Color blossomed on Erina as blood rushed to her head, not stopping before her face was completely red and even then, steam seemed to erupt from her being as embarrassment consumed her. How could she even allow something like that to happen?! That was such a disgrace...but if she was being completely honest with herself, she'd have to admit that she couldn't bring herself to really regret it. Somehow, she felt much better after talking to him. Maybe it was because he didn't interrupt her or showed pity, simply listening to her talking in his arms, or maybe it was simply the fact that he had been there, she didn't really know but she was still kind of grateful anyway.

Not that she'd ever actually admit it. She still had her pride and she wasn't about to say something like that to him.

Anyway, she still had to decide what to do with him. It wasn't as if she could just up and leave considering the fact that this was _her_ room. A quick glance around her easily confirmed that fact.

 _Hmm._

Her blush slowly started to recede and a sigh escaped her lips. Honestly, it would be so much easier if he was the one who just upped and left...maybe he would. Or she could just push him out of the bed. That didn't sound too bad.

Erina carefully approached the still sleeping boy and extended her hand, readying herself to push him off when she got distracted by his golden eyes. They really were just like endless pools of molten gold, so deep and so unreadable - or maybe she just couldn't identify the emotions that seemed to pass through them. Some were there for longer than others but at the bottom of them all, there was something she quite couldn't put a name on, like some sort of protection, a barrier that prevented her and the others to go any further, the fake bottom that isn't really one. Maybe one day, she'd be able to go behind that seemingly bottom but for now, she only could watch as slight curiosity floated in those pools under a layer of sleepiness -

Wait.

Golden eyes...? Last time she checked, you couldn't actually see irises behind closed lids so why was she -

The current situation slowly dawned on her and all she could do was stare. Silence fell on them as they stared right into the other's eyes but as soon as the moment came, it was gone, broken by Sōma's voice.

" 'Morning." he greeted with a stifled yawn before he allowed his eyes to leave her and slide over his surroundings. Looking back at her, he sent her a sheepish grin before saying "Looks like I fell asleep." stating the obvious.

"I could see that but why were you in my bed in the first place?!" Erina demanded as she watched Sōma sitting up, matching her current position.

"Well," he started after rubbing his eyes in a gesture that she could only describe as cute and she hated herself for thinking of him like that, "I hadn't really planned to stay after taking you to your room but you wouldn't let go." Sōma explained with an half-teasing, half-sleepy voice and Erina could do nothing but blush in renewed mortification. She silently cursed her sleeping self for being so clingy.

Sōma stared at her for a while before a glint of mischief appeared in his eyes and she just knew she wasn't going to like the next thing that was going to leave his mouth. She was proven right when he spoke up again.

"No good morning kiss for your boyfriend?"

Next thing he knew, a pillow was flying his way and he lifted his arms to block it before it could crash square on his face, laughing. He barely made it in time and grinned at her when the pillow fell in his lap, calmly meeting her heated and embarrassed glare. The look in his eyes clearly said that he was having fun with this whole situation, at her expense of course.

"How heartless." he teased before leaning towards her and brushing his lips on her cheek. That resulted in the deepening of the red now marring her face and of her glare. Seeing this, Sōma grinned in satisfaction before sliding his legs over the edge of the bed, preparing himself to get up. "Well, I guess I should go back to my own room now. I slept really well." he declared as he sent her a teasing grin above his shoulder, "Tell me if you want to sleep with me again." he winked and the blonde sent another pillow flying his way which elicited a laugh from the redhead once again.

 _This guy..._ Erina thought in aggravation. _He's really got a lot of guts._

But if she was being completely honest, she'd have to admit that she slept really well herself. She couldn't even remember the last time she had slept with someone besides her. Maybe with her mother when she was younger but she sincerely couldn't recall. Her mother had been gone for so many years that she barely remembered her except for the pictures and portraits that hang around the manor.

That aside, she was _kinda_ thankful for his presence. She didn't know how she would have reacted if she had woken up alone in the morning. Knowing that her father was back in Japan and could come back into her life at any time was terrifying enough on its own and surely would have given her some nightmares if she had been alone.

Biting her lower lip as she watched Sōma walking towards his own room, she hesitated before murmuring a sincere "Thanks" just as he was about to exit her room. The only indication that he had heard her was the slight flatter in his steps as he crossed the threshold accompanied by a small nod of his head before he disappeared behind the now closed wooden door.

* * *

On the other side of the door, Sōma finally dropped the too calm facade and allowed the recent events to fully dawn on him.

 _...crap._

He wasn't supposed to fall asleep and spend the night with her. He had just planned to take a small nap while waiting for the bed to warm up enough for Erina to let go of him more easily but it obviously hadn't gone that way.

...somehow, he couldn't bring himself to actually regret it even if it could've been bad. It wasn't and he really had had a good night sleep. Maybe he had been more tired than he had thought or he had just been that comfortable with the girl beside him, he wasn't sure but the fact was that he had ended up spending the whole night in her bed.

 _... Well, shit._

It wasn't like he could change anything now and he wasn't even sure he would have if he could. After all, he really didn't regret it. That and he really hadn't wanted to leave the girl alone last night so well.

That said, he _was_ surprised when he woke up earlier to find out that he had never left. Honestly, he had half expected her to push him out of the bed but she hadn't. Maybe she just hadn't wanted to take the chance to possibly hurt him in the process and that thought kinda warmed his heart. Maybe she had feelings for him too...? Could he actually believe that? He didn't know, the only thing he knew for sure was that she didn't hate him. Now, would she come to love him as well? That was the real question.

But that wasn't really all that important right now. For now, he was more worried about her father and how he could affect her by the mere notion of his presence in the country. That certainly wasn't reassuring but she had seemed fine in the morning so he guessed he was able to help, at least a little.

Somehow, he really didn't want to see how she would react if they were to actually meet.

* * *

 _Hmm...it should be fine now, right?_

Alice nodded to herself before knocking on the door standing closed in front of her.

"Come in!"

Upon hearing this, the white-haired girl reached for the doorknob and twisted it, pushing the door open and entering the room.

She was instantly met with surprised golden eyes which looked at her as if wondering why she would be there. Alice didn't answer the unspoken question immediately, closing the door instead before turning back around to face the red-haired teen.

He looked at her in wonder for a while longer before finally asking, "What is it, Nakiri?"

"Well," Alice started, putting both her hands behind her back as she stepped inside and sat up on the couch not far from her, "I saw you two coming in your room last night and I was wondering what happened with Erina." Alice finished in a light tone as she leveled him with an expectant gaze that put much more weight into her inquiry.

On the other end of her gaze, Sōma stiffened for a moment before relaxing again. There was no way she actually knew he had been with Erina until recently after all. She was probably talking about what happened last night before he carried Erina upstairs. Relieved, he parted his lips to answer.

"Oh that..." Sōma let out as he scratched his neck, he figured she had the right to know, being her cousin and all, and she seemed a bit worried so well. "That's - Nakiri found a document about her father's whereabouts in the library last night. Apparently, he's back in Japan." he simply stated as he let his hand fall back to his side and into his pocket.

This time, it was Alice's turn to stiffen at his words. She obviously knew what that meant - or rather could mean for the blonde and she didn't seem to be overjoyed with the news either even if she hid it better than her cousin.

 _...that certainly explains Erina's behavior._ Alice thought as she gave him a slight nod and met his gaze squarely. "... How much did she tell you?" she asked warily after a while.

"Hmm...pretty much everything I guess." Sōma simply answered as he tried to read her.

Alice's eyes widened a bit at the piece of information and he assumed she hadn't expected that. He was absolutely right about that. Indeed, Alice was quite taken aback. She certainly hadn't thought that Erina would just tell him everything...did she even know what _that_ meant? Alice highly doubted it. Somehow, it seemed like Erina just subconsciously refused to acknowledge the feelings that were clearly there and she wasn't sure why.

"I see..." Alice slowly declared with a sense of finality as she stood up from her seat and started to make her way towards the door.

She wasn't sure why but she knew one thing for sure, Erina would have to acknowledge them at some point. And she didn't mind helping her with that, Alice thought as a small cunning smirk stretched her lips.

Just as she was about to cross the threshold, she stopped in her tracks and gave the redhead a teasing look from over her shoulder.

"By the way, you two were really cute cuddling together in your sleep like that." she stated with a grin which grew larger when she spotted pink dust on Sōma's cheeks. Then, she let out a giggle as she finally exited the room, leaving a discountenanced Sōma in her wake.

The redhead could only watch the door close and hear it click shut, letting silence engulf the room once more as her parting words still hang into the air.

 _... Well, shit._

* * *

 _Tbc… Hope you enjoyed :)_

 _Answers to guest reviews:_

 **Devil:** Couldn't resist. XD My bad. ^^' Glad you enjoyed it ;)

 **Guest:** I'm really happy to know you're enjoying my works. ^^ …sorry for the extra long wait…I update once a month recently so well, only checking at the end of the month might do the trick ^^' …why siblings XD I'd hate it if they were related so don't worry about that ;)

 **Urself:** *bursts out laughing* XD What are you insinuating? XD ;)

 **Kaito1412:** Good guess! :D Only Azami could do that to Erina.

 **Selpi:** Hmm…sadly the kiss on the lips will have to wait a bit more but I'll be sure to have them go on a date of sorts. ;) And the jealousy of course, because jealousy is always fun. XD Glad you enjoyed this chapter as well. ^

 **Irza:** Well, I guess this chapter pretty much answered it. ;) Yeah, I like it when she opens up to him as well. ^^ A little bit more each time. x)

 **Sorina:** :D Really? :D ^^ XD I'm glad you liked it that much. x) Sorry for the wait ^^' and I'll do my best. ;)

 **Ryn kun:** Her father. :/ That happens during the festival arc, at the end of it but for this fic, she hadn't met him yet. She is, isn't she? :D XD I love it when she blushes around him. ;) Really? I'm super happy if it could brighten your days :D ^^

 **Atsuko:** Here is chap 25 :) Sorry for the wait ^^'

 _Thanks to all the guest reviewers and the registered ones :D_ _ **PantherSeraphin, HelL4DAluCarD, BlackZ3r0, silentworld94, that-girl-on-the-corner, raydark182, sarara1.8, The Emblem of Ice, WolfKinx, cherryblossom321, OrangeSpark5555, acpeters, Generation Zero, ChaosOmega8, madeyemoody95, HiragaSaito16, Chunkybucket, MariTami, BeautifulLotus, Skytte, Sasubae, kiba zero, Percabeth's Conjugal Love, RaidenUzumaki14**_ _and_ _ **mingxingxing**_

 _I love reading what you have to say so really, thank you all for sharing your thoughts with me. ^^_

 _That said, I'm starting my internship again soon so well. But I'll do my best to stick to at least an update a month. :)_

 _Ja ne~_


	26. Blazing fire, discreet smoke

_Hello guys :D_

… _sorry for disappearing on you…internship, lack of inspiration and all, it wasn't helping. My internship is almost over now. ^^_

 _That said, I thought about telling you all how it was progressing but I didn't want to post only an author's note so I did it on my profile but I think I'll do it at the end of the summary. I don't think lots of you actually go to my profile page so it's probably the best option._

 _Anyway, this is the probably the longest chapter I've ever written. Can only blame myself for starting like that… -'_

 _Thanks for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing :D ^^ And special thanks to_ _ **The Emblem of Ice**_ _for the ideas ^^ (The large list did help a lot XD ;) )_

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own SnS.

* * *

 **Chapter 26: Blazing fire, discreet smoke**

* * *

 _ **Wednesday morning, Nakiri villa**_

 _... I'm going to kill her._

Erina stomped away angrily, already thinking about ways to kill her infuriating cousin. There were lots of ways to reach that objective so she had a large choice in front of her. Some were quite unusual and fancy and she figured she could go with one of those. It'd probably be easier not to be found out but she had to think about how to hide the body as well.

 _Hmm..._

For some reason, Erina just thought that Hisako knew how. She wasn't sure why but she just believed it. And she was actually right since her purple-haired friend had indeed looked that up ever since the whole Isato fiasco.

Why did she want to kill Alice this time? Well, to answer that, we'll have to go back in time a little bit...

* * *

 _ **Tuesday morning, Nakiri villa, dinner hall**_

"Will you stop picking at my food already Yukihira?!"

Takumi's voice resounded in the hall and everyone turned towards him to see what was going on.

Sōma was blinking at Takumi innocently with a piece of food that was obviously Takumi's at the end of his fork as the latter was glaring at him in irritation. Judging by the force of said glare, this must have been going on for a while before the blond finally snapped.

At the other side of the redhead, his girlfriend was heaving a sigh, just in between resigned and relieved that it wasn't her plate he was picking at for once. For some reason, he was toning down on the teasing and skin ship this morning - not that she minded one bit. Why would she mind him toning down on it? Exactly, there was absolutely no reason to. And so she didn't mind. At all.

...it's just that it felt a bit weird. There was some air of awkwardness around him...but maybe it was all her imagination.

Erina was abruptly pulled out of her thoughts when something solid and wet landed square on her face.

Silence fell on all of them as they all watched the piece of meat slowly make its way down the heiress's face before finally landing on her plate in a sloppy sound.

The honey blonde girl was still silent but they could clearly see the anger building up and it wasn't long after it showed on her face that they all feared the upcoming explosion. Unexpectedly, Erina slowly turned towards the direction the duck meat (as her nose informed her) had flown from, her amethyst eyes unsurprisingly falling on the two deer-in-the-highlights faces of the previously bickering boys.

Some more time passed before Sōma hesitantly broke it with a guilt-laced "Er...sorry?" accompanied by a nervous laugh.

A vein popped on Erina's temple as she let out an ominous "...Yukihira...!" before exploding and starting to rant as the others quietly resumed their meals, deciding to ignore the quarreling couple.

Red eyes followed the scene as their owner's smirk grew. The day was starting well and she had lots of plans for it to continue that way.

"Those two get along as well as ever I see..." Hisako murmured with an amused and fond smile, earning Alice's attention for herself.

A giggle escaped the white-haired teen as she fully turned towards her neighbor, remembering that morning's events. "No, they get along even better than before - when they're not bickering at least." Then she whispered with a conspiratorial air around her, "Want to see something interesting?" in a suggestive tone.

Hisako stilled for a second, wondering just what the red-eyed Vixen could possibly have to show her before letting her curiosity win and cautiously nodding. As soon as she did, Alice took out her phone and presented Hisako with it. The purple-haired girl examined it for a bit before a blush suddenly engulfed her face and she turned away from it.

Intrigued by the scene, Yūki leaned over from her seat next to Hisako to look at the locked screen and Alice let her. She examined it for a moment before a blush overcame her face as well.

There, standing as Alice's locked screen background was a picture of the young couple - but not any picture. This one was with them still asleep, _in bed_. _Together_. From the looks of things and the height of the tent made by the sheets, their limbs were probably intertwined and the two were loosely hugging each other in their sleep. Thankfully, they still had their clothes on. She didn't know what kind of face she would have made if that wasn't the case...

Apparently, her current one was enough to intrigue her fellow dorm mates who soon inquired about the reason behind the expression she currently had plastered on which was a mix of embarrassment, surprise and an under-sense of not knowing where to look at anymore. Unable to think of anything to say, she ended up unable to form coherent sentences and soon gave up on it in favor of resuming her breakfast.

Shun observed Yūki quietly as her eyes were darting everywhere but into the direction of the still arguing couple and came to the conclusion that it concerned the two of them. And seeing the color of her face, it must have been something with quite an impact...not that it really mattered to him, he never was one to join the gossip but Daigo and Shōji certainly were.

Not wasting a moment they both made their way towards the girls to discover the cause of their sudden unease and happened upon the still lit up the locked screen. It took them a moment to process the image they were seeing but when they did they whistled, impressed by how far their relationship had gone, and sent meaningful looks to Sōma who, sensing their eyes on him, looked their way, halting his quarrel with his 'girlfriend' and stared at them for a while before letting an inquiring "What?" drop from his lips.

After a brief moment, the two boys answered.

"We just didn't think you two would have gone that far already..." Shōji said as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively which caused Sōma to blank out for a second in momentary confusion.

Sōma's aureate eyes slid down from the two boys to the table and beyond the edge, caught sight of a phone which was currently being reclaimed by the white-haired vixen. It took him a few seconds to connect the dots and when he did, his brain stalled. Then, regaining some composure he countered with a light "It's not what you're thinking about." before resuming his meal, leaving the heiress without a quarrel partner.

Confused by the whole situation and the obviously present innuendoes, Erina just stared back and forth between Yukihira and the Polar Star residents group before her eyes fell on her cousin who was currently bickering with Hisako about this or that. She could faintly hear Hisako reprimanding Alice for taking a...picture? Of what? And why was her face so red? Just what was going on?

Erina would have pondered over the subject some more if the sound of something falling on the ground hadn't cut her train of thought. Following the direction it had come from, she found a flustered Tadokoro who looked about ready to panic or explode in embarrassment or both as she fell down to her knees to pick up the knife and fork she had dropped.

For some reason, she stayed in that position longer than necessary and when she finally got back up and reclaimed her seat, she kept her gaze downwards. Erina stared at her for a few more seconds before resuming her meal, deciding to enjoy it while she still could seeing as her dear 'boyfriend' was being quiet at the moment...which was actually a bit unusual. But she wasn't complaining.

At least she wasn't until the redhead resumed arguing with his blond neighbor. Well, actually, it's the blond that started the fight again by picking a piece of meat of Sōma's plate and waving it in the air but the result was the same. Once again, it flew right at Erina's face.

A vein popped on the blonde heiress's temple as she struggled to maintain her fury in. She ultimately failed and exploded at the two, restarting the previous argument.

As they watched the scene, the others occupants of the room wisely chose to stay silent and eat their breakfast to stock up energy for the upcoming day. They wanted to visit lots of places that day so they'd probably come back late.

* * *

"Why did you take such a picture?!"

"Hmm?" Alice hummed as she peeked behind her curiously, only to discover the disapproving face of one Arato Hisako. "What are you talking about?"

Hisako gave Alice her best unimpressed look and rolled her eyes in exasperation before she elaborated. "The one where they're sleeping together."

Alice's expression brightened up at the mention of it. "Oh! That one! Weren't they just so cute sleeping together like that?"

Hisako' face reddened a bit at the comment as she tried to find her words "Well...they were but, hum..." before suddenly straightening in a fit of anger "That's not the point! You shouldn't have taken it, Alice-ojou! Much less let it be seen by so many people..." Hisako added as worry started to peek out from behind the scolding, "Erina-sama won't be happy with that at all when she discovers what you did..." she finished after looking around once to check their surroundings.

Thankfully, it seemed like the others had gone back to their respective rooms and decided to quietly go get ready for the day after breakfast so the halls were deserted at that moment.

"It's fine as long as she doesn't, right?" Alice countered and quickly added before Hisako could answer, "And even if she does, it's a fact and it probably would have been found out at some point anyway so well, it just happened earlier than it could have been. Besides, it's because of your face that the others all got so curious about it, Hishoko-chan." Alice finished in an airy accusing tone.

A few seconds passed before Hisako found her voice again after the shock Alice's remark had caused. "That's- You- It's-" Her tongue refused to form complete sentences and Hisako resigned herself after a few tries before adding a half-grudging "Who are you calling Hishoko..." to which Alice only grinned completely unrepentant before changing the subject.

"Anyway, we should get ready too. We have a long day before us and we'll visit lots of places." the red-eyed teen declared with a playful wink.

That calmed Hisako a bit as her mind wandered towards the information they had received before breakfast. "If I recall correctly the first place we are visiting is..."

* * *

"Nakagusuku Castle Ruins!" Yūki exclaimed as her starry eyes took in the scenery laying in front of them. "I heard there's a great view from the top!" she added as she turned towards her companions her whole body dripping with excitement.

Ryōko looked around and commented, "I can barely imagine what it must look like from the top..." keeping her excitement at a moderate level.

The others silently agreed, looking around as well and anticipating the upcoming visit. Erina was no exception and Sōma chuckled at the sight of the heiress trying to contain her excitement and failing miserably just as she had when they had gone at the aquarium on their first date. She looked like a child who had been presented with their favorite dish and was waiting for the okay before digging in. It was refreshing to see her like that, especially after the night before.

A few more seconds passed before Yūki spoke once again and urged the group to follow her. "Let's go!" she exclaimed as she started walking forward once again.

"Yeah!" the more excited Polar Star residents exclaimed in response before moving to follow her upstairs, finally starting the long awaited tour. Sōma casually put his hands into his pockets before following the group, but not without a last look at his girlfriend, unaware of the pair of green eyes watching him from afar.

 _...are they really_ that _close...?_

* * *

"You know, Nakagusuku castle was built by Lord Sakinakagusuku in the mid-14th century and was expanded upon by Lord Gosamaru in the early 15th century. However, in 1458 it fell to attacks by Amawari. The castle is made up of six baileys, each of a different elevation." Marui said as they started the ascension.

"Leave it to Marui to know historical facts like this." Shōji snickered with Daigo as Shun looked around with Yūki, Ryōko, Megumi and Miyoko. Ikumi was standing a few steps behind with the Aldini twins, her green eyes fixated on the couple standing a few feet away to her right.

Erina-sama was excitedly looking around while Yukihira was gazing at her...lovingly and chuckled, probably because of the enthusiasm that was dripping from the heiress. Ikumi had never seen the God's tongue acting like that...maybe it was because Yukihira was around?

Ikumi bit her lower lip as she looked away from the sight, unable to take it any longer. Yes, she had decided to give up on Yukihira but it didn't mean that she was ready to see him like that with another girl and, let's face it, moving on was not that easy. Especially when you saw the object of your affection every single day. It definitely wasn't helping.

Sensing Ikumi's sour mood, Takumi decided to take it upon himself to cheer her up. Looking back at his twin, he discovered him admiring the view a few meters ahead of him. A few seconds later, Takumi's face lit up as it hit him. That was it! It would make a good distraction.

"Hey."

Ikumi looked at her side where the voice had come from and found Takumi at the end of her gaze and judging from the look he was giving her, he had been the one trying to get her attention.

"What is it?" Ikumi inquired politely and Takumi pointed towards the landscape.

"Check this out!" he exclaimed and Ikumi followed his finger to find just what he was pointing at. When she discovered the scenery, her green eyes widened in awe and she got closer to admire it with Takumi on her trail.

A few meters away, Alice was watching the scene with interest. _Hmm...what an unexpected pair._ she thought with a knowing smirk playing on her lips. _Well, that makes one less rival for Erina though with things as they are now, I doubt any would dare to make a move. Still, I'd better keep an eye out for her._ Alice thought as her eyes slid towards Tadokoro-chan. She didn't think she had given up on Yukihira-kun just yet but if everything went smoothly, she would probably do it soon. After all, her cousin and her 'boyfriend' were obviously in love with each other, everyone but them could see it and the bluenette didn't seem like the type to try and snatch away someone else's boyfriend.

 _Thinking about them..._ Her red eyes slid towards the couple to see how they were doing. It seemed like something in the lower levels had caught their attention. They were peeking at them from over the railings and discussing, Yukihira-kun's arm around Erina's shoulders (which didn't seem to please her all that much, Alice thought with a playful smile) and they were probably planning to go and see them from a bit closer. Oh? Was that red adorning her dear cousin's face? Alice chuckled at the sight and shook her head in amusement.

Watching those two was always interesting and she would have continued for a while longer if someone else hadn't caught her attention, namely her aide, Ryō. He was looking around by Hayama's side and lightly discussing this or that. The two boys had grown even closer after the festival - not that she really minded but she didn't really like the fact that Ryō had so easily left her side.

A frown overcame her features but she soon smoothed them in a small smile and made her way to the two boys.

"What are you two talking about?"

* * *

Come on, we can go see the well alone if the others still want to stay here for a bit you know, we're a couple after all, nobody will get mad at us for this." Sōma declared as he looked down at the blonde currently cursing him and his closeness. "Besides we did worse than that already." Sōma added in a teasing voice with a wink and Erina flushed at his comment.

"And what could you possibly mean by that?" the heiress inquired as she looked away in an attempt to put some distance between their faces with a would-be indifferent air. It probably would have worked better if she hadn't had that blush threatening to take over her whole face.

Grinning at the response he got from the girl, Sōma leaned in enough so that his mouth was barely a centimeter away from her hair before whispering directly in her ear in a husky voice "I'm talking about what we did last night of course." unknowingly sending a shiver through her spine.

Erina blushed even harder as she pushed his face away and tried to put some more distance between them. "Stop with this nonsense and- get off me!" the blonde exclaimed earning a laugh from the boy who obediently gave her more space, lifting his two hands in the air as Erina quickly took two steps away from the amused lad.

Erina took a few moments to compose herself once again before looking back at the redhead who was still staring at her with a mirthful glint in his eyes. "Stop staring at me already and let's go." she said before turning on her heels and heading towards the stairs soon followed by her red-haired boyfriend.

Yellow eyes followed the scene from a few meters away and watched the two go away until they could no longer see them and probably would have continued to stare into the direction they had disappeared to if their owner hadn't been lightly pushed by someone. They immediately darted towards the origin of that push and found themselves looking at a Chinese maiden.

"Houjou-san...?" Megumi got out after her initial surprise, "You scared me. Did you want something...?" she said uncertainly. She didn't think the girl would come to her without reason but why would she - oh. Her guess was confirmed a few seconds later when the Chinese teen spoke up.

"Are you going to talk with Yukihira today?" Miyoko asked with her head slightly cocked to the side after crossing her arms under her voluminous chest.

"Ah...um..." Megumi started nervously before averting her eyes from the girl and biting her lower lip in slight frustration.

Miyoko watched the conflicted girl in silence for a while before she sighed and spoke up again. "I was just asking. The moment you decide to talk to him is really up to you. Just thought the sooner the better but I didn't mean to put pressure on you." she explained before looking around and deciding on her next stop. "I'm going to go look at the walls' remains a bit more. You want to come with me?"

Megumi looked up at the violet-haired girl and considered the offer for a few seconds before nodding and following the girl towards the walls.

Green eyes followed the two girls' movements from afar for a while before focusing back on the tomb standing in the yard below him. They stayed fixed on it even when their owner's mind wandered to the events from the beach a few days ago. Akira, as most of their group, had heard Houjou-san ask Tadokoro about her feelings towards the infamous redhead. Somehow, it seemed like the guy was becoming more and more popular with girls and guys alike. If he was asked, he'd have to say that he actually found himself enjoying the redhead's company...when he wasn't being unbearably annoying and making himself at home when he obviously was not. The guy was really something, expecting everyone to go along with his craziness…but most of the time, they actually did. Which was even crazier but nobody seemed to mind all that much so well.

Alice's whiny voice brought him out of his thoughts. Unexpectedly, she was having another fit at her aide.

"Mou~! Ryō-kun! You have to come with me!"

The black-haired guy only looked at her nonchalantly before replying. "If Milady wants to go right now, feel free to do so. I'll join you later, I still want to have a look from up here."

Alice pouted angrily, sulking before trying once again. "But you _have_ to be with your mistress! If I go down then you have to come too!"

Ryō only blinked before a familiar thought occurred to him once again. _What am I supposed to be? A dog?_ He didn't dare to vocalize it though and simply looked back at the landscape in front of him. He knew he wouldn't win that argument and he _was_ feeling a bit bad about leaving her alone earlier. She had expressed herself on that matter and let's just say she hadn't been too happy about that...about 'being neglected' to use her words.

Glancing back at the white-haired girl, he found her sulking and muttering to herself about this or that. He let his red eyes rest on her for a bit longer before he sighed, resigned.

"Fine. But give me a few more minutes before then." Ryō said and Alice's face instantly lit up in happiness.

"Yay!" the red-eyed vixen exclaimed as she took his arm and immediately started to drag him away, obviously not caring about the few minutes he had asked for.

Ryō blinked once then twice before sighing and letting her drag him away. It wasn't as if he had expected her to comply anyway...not that he would have had it any other way, he thought as a ghost of a smile played on his lips.

* * *

"Diving?!"

Alice turned around to face her startled cousin and nodded. "Yup, diving. I said it this morning before breakfast though so it shouldn't be a surprise - ah, sorry. You weren't there yet since you were busy elsewhere." Alice finished snickering as she brought her hand to her lips to hide her mouth.

Erina frowned and gave her white-haired cousin a wary look before carefully asking "...what are you insinuating...?"

"Oh, nothing!" Alice replied a little too quickly as she clasped her hands behind her back.

Erina eyed her suspiciously for some more time before resuming the previous conversation. "We'll talk about that later. Anyway, what was that about diving?"

Some of the airiness was replaced with seriousness as Alice replied. "We're going to dive right now. There's a famous place for it called 'Blue Cave'. I know how much you've been waiting to see the fishes up close so I thought it'd be a good idea." she finished in a too innocent tone with a too angelic smile.

Erina glared at the reminder of what had happened after her date at the aquarium and at the beach. It looked like she just wouldn't let her live it down. She took a deep breath and decided to ignore it for now. It _was_ true that diving sounded great after all.

"It'll be even better than the aquarium." Sōma commented at her side and Erina's eyes slid on him. "Don't stop moving this time though, you'll sink if you do." he teased with a grin which earned him a glare from the blonde.

"As if I would." she harrumphed as she turned away from him.

"Well, I never know with you so better safe than sorry. " Sōma smirked with a satisfied air around him and Erina punched him in the shoulder.

"Shut up." the heiress chastised which would have been more effective if the corners of her traitorous mouth hadn't slightly lifted upwards.

Sōma snickered in response but didn't say any more on the subject and focused his attention back on Alice. He hadn't known about that either so he was interested in hearing about it too.

"If you two are done flirting, I'll proceed with the explanations." Alice teased before continuing, "So, it's probably better to go before eating to avoid vomiting and stuff like that." Alice started, "Does everyone know how to swim?" Everyone nodded after briefly glancing at one another, some more hesitantly than the others but they all did. "Okay, then is everyone okay with diving? There's snorkeling too if you're not though."

They discussed a bit among themselves and in the end, they all decided to go for diving. The experience would be that much better.

"Good." Alice said as she clapped her hands in satisfaction. "Okay for diving then! We'll eat afterward. It's only 10 o'clock anyway so it's all right. Let's go to the diving shop!"

"Yeah!"

And with that decided, they all boarded the car (wow, they were getting a bit too used to the Nakiri sense of the word) and left in direction of the shop.

Thirty minutes later, they were all in wetsuits and ready to go. Their clothes and stuff were put away in a locker room and they made their way to the van that was going to take them to Cape Maeda where they would enter the sea. It was a short trip during which their guide explained how to use the material that was put at their disposal and soon enough they disembarked and went down the stairs in the cliff. Down there, they entered the water behind the instructor that led them all the way to the Cave.

If they hadn't known why it was called Blue Cave before, they instantly knew the moment they entered it. Inside, the water was completely bathed in a fairylike blue light. Coral was adorning the bottom of the water and the rocky edge added to its charm. It was simply breathtaking.

For Erina and Sōma, it reminded them of their time in the aquarium and they were taken back to that first date they had together, the unique difference being that they were actually in the water this time. They both glanced at each other at the same time and embarrassed at being caught, averted their gaze before they refocused on their surroundings.

The instructor invited them to follow her even deeper into the cave and they complied. A few moments later, they were completely surrounded by a swarm of tropical fishes which came to pick at them. It was kinda ticklish and frankly entrancing. It was a first for all of them and they thoroughly enjoyed the moment.

Some fishes went to pick at Erina's hands and she moved away brutally in surprise, colliding with the nearest person who caught her by the shoulders and stopped her movement. A little embarrassed but still thankful to them, she turned her head to face them and froze. Her amethyst eyes fell into familiar golden pools and she silently cursed herself for even being surprised by his presence at her side.

Time seemed to stop for an instant and it simply felt surreal. The blue light surrounding them gave the other an ethereal aura and they found themselves unable to look away. They could have stayed like that for a long moment if a blue tropical fish hadn't decided to swim right in their line of sight at that exact moment. It caught both their attention and their eyes followed it until they lost sight of it in a nearby coral reef. Only then did Sōma realize that he was still holding onto Erina.

Suddenly, he felt a little self-conscious and slowly let go of her as she glanced back at him before some clown fishes finished distracting her and the moment was lost. Erina indicated them to Sōma who followed her finger to see what she was pointing at and discovered the orange fishes stripped with white lazily swimming around an anemone. They both decided to get closer and swam up to them, not going too close as to not scare them away and watched as all the fishes started to come out from behind the anemone and the coral as if to greet them.

They were completely entranced in the moment as were their companions and during the following hours they simply enjoyed swimming with the fishes and looking at them until they had their fill. That's when they decided to go back and the instructor led the way back to Cape Maeda where they emerged and got out of the water. It felt a bit weird to feel the hard ground under their feet once again at first but after a little moment they got used to it and made their way to the stairs then up the cliff.

They decided to walk back to the shop instead of taking the van this time since they were literally dripping wet, it would only take fifteen minutes anyway so it was better that way.

"It was awesome!" Yūki exclaimed with a big grin and stars in her eyes.

"It was, wasn't it?!" Shōji easily agreed and Daigo nodded in agreement.

"It was a great experience indeed." Miyoko concurred as she walked along the group.

"Yeah! Thanks, Nakiri-san!" Yūki exclaimed enthusiastically as she turned towards Alice and gave her a grateful smile.

"You're welcome." Alice said with a smile before adding "But call me Alice please, it's confusing since there are two Nakiris here you know."

That took Yūki by surprise but she quickly recovered and nodded. "Okay, Alice-san."

Alice smiled in response before turning towards her cousin. "And you Erina? Did you enjoy it?"

Erina smiled. "I really did. Thanks for organizing it." Erina said sincerely and it could have ended on that good note if Alice hadn't added "Well, I know just how much you wanted to swim with the fishes so I thought I'd help you make your dream come true."

Unsurprisingly, that earned her a fierce glare from her blonde cousin to which she responded with an unrepentant smile.

Sōma casually put his arm around Erina's shoulders and the blonde reflexively turned to look at him. "Well, it's true that you really looked like you wanted to when we went to the aquarium." he said with an easy grin.

At that moment, Erina's glare found another recipient. "Don't encourage her." she scolded before swatting his arm off her - or at least she tried to but the guy had a good grip on her and she found the task way more difficult than she had first thought it would be. She struggled a bit against him, as discreetly as she could but he simply refused to let her go. "Let me go." she whispered from behind clenched teeth and a forced smile.

"Hmm..." Sōma faked thinking about it before looking back at the princess and leaning in. "No can do." he whispered directly into her ear and Erina gritted her teeth in displeasure.

Hisako watched as the two started to quietly bicker once again and wondered how many times that made it for that single day. Thankfully, she could see the shop already so it wouldn't be long until they reached their destination. In her relief, she missed Yūki and Ryōko whispering among themselves and glancing at the couple from time to times. Later, she wished she could have seen it because that was the foretelling of a coming storm...

* * *

"Well, that was good." Sōma said as they stepped out of the Sailfish Café where they had gone to eat after taking a shower and getting changed at the diving shop.

Erina gave him a look that meant she wasn't all that satisfied with the food. "It was barely passable. Even if they say anything is good when you're hungry."

"Oh, come on, there was good Okinawan food in there." Sōma replied.

Erina only gave him another look and didn't bother answering. Seeing that, Sōma sighed in resignation. It wasn't like she'd change her mind anyway. Sensing that this conversation was over for the girl, Sōma looked behind him to see how the others were doing.

The girls were enthusiastically speaking about that morning and the boys were snickering about this or that. Or most of them were anyway. It looked like Hayama and Kurokiba were quietly following Alice who seemed to be engrossed in reading a flyer. It was kinda unusual for the white-haired vixen to be that silent. He briefly wondered what it could be about and his question was answered a few minutes later.

"Hey guys!" Alice exclaimed, effectively catching the others' attention. "What do you think about going to walk along the Nakijin castle ruins? It's good to walk after eating after all and they say that the cherry blossoms are beautiful to look at there."

"I'm in!" Yūki immediately exclaimed as she lifted her hand high in the air, earning herself a chuckle from Ryōko and a smile from Shun, amused by her antics.

"Sounds good to me." Sōma agreed with a glance at his girlfriend who nodded in approval.

Alice's red eyes slid over their group, noting the nods of approval and nodded herself. "Then it's decided. Next stop, Nakijin castle ruins!"

* * *

"Hello?"

" _Sōma._ "

A smile turned Sōma's lips upwards as he recognized his father's voice from the other end of the phone. When he had seen the unknown number, Sōma had excused himself and stepped out of the group as they were looking around the ruins.

"Pops. Where are you?"

Laughter rang from the phone. " _Is that the first thing you ask your father after so long?_ " Jōichirō's deep voice asked as he laughed some more before continuing. " _But, to answer your question, I'm in Arabia right now."_

"Arabia?" Sōma repeated in surprise although he really shouldn't have been but, well. "Why there? Did a friend invite you again?"

Jōichirō laughed once more before he confirmed his son's hypothesis. " _Aa. I've been there before. Anyway, that's not why I'm calling._ " That got Sōma curious and he silently waited for his father to continue. " _I heard you've been doing well with Erina-chan._ " Jōichirō said and Sōma could just hear the teasing grin he must have had on his face as he said that.

"Pops!" Sōma scolded as he made a conscious effort not to let his blood redirect to his face and glanced behind him to check on the others. They were farther away, his dorm mates curiously looking at some burned down ruins while the others were examining the remnants of an ancient kitchen. Relieved, Sōma turned back and focused his attention on his father. "Where did you even hear that?"

" _Who knows~_ " Jōichirō teased with a chuckle, not answering in the least. He couldn't just give away his informant now, could he?

Sōma sighed at his non-response. "What was I expecting..." he muttered to himself before speaking a bit louder for his father to hear. "It's not what you're thinking."

" _Oh? It's not?_ "

"It's- it's complicated." Sōma tried with a sigh. "I can't say more than that but it's probably not what you're thinking."

" _Hmm. And here I thought you were madly in love with Erina-chan..._ "

"Dad!" Sōma scolded once again with a hint of embarrassment in his voice.

After laughing at his son's obvious discomfort, Jōichirō casually inquired " _That aside, how is Okinawa?_ "

Sōma stared at nothing in disbelief for a while before finally replying with "I'm not even going to ask." and closing his mental box of questions on how on Earth his dad could know so much while being so far away, he must have had good informants. Then, he actually answered to Jōichirō's question. "Well, it's great really. We're visiting lots of places and today, we went diving at Blue Cave. Honestly, it was amazing. But I'm sure you already went there."

" _Actually, I didn't._ "

"...seriously? There's actually a place you didn't go to?" Sōma said, disbelief dripping from his voice.

" _No. Just kidding._ " came the lighthearted answer before Jōichirō quietly added " _...I went with your mother once._ "

Sōma let out a small "Oh." and let silence fall upon them. After a few seconds, he finally asked what he had been wanting to those last few days. "...say, how did you know it was her?"

A few moments of silence passed between them before Jōichirō's voice was heard through the phone.

" _...I felt it. In my heart. After a while, she was always on my mind, at the center of my thoughts and when the time came for me to leave, I just couldn't stay away for long. She had become a part of me already. Without me realizing, I had fallen for her._ "

 _Fallen...it's truly a fall. You only realize you did when it's already too late._ Sōma thought as he pondered over his father's words.

" _Well, I gotta go back to work now._ " Jōichirō said and Sōma could hear loud exclamations in a language he couldn't quite understand behind him, probably calling for his free-spirited father. " _Say hi to Erina-chan for me._ " Jōichirō teased and Sōma could almost see the wink that went along with it.

"Dad..." the young man said exasperatedly but all that answered him was laughter and the dialing tone signaling the end of the call. Pulling the phone away from his ear, Sōma looked down at the screen and shook his head as a small smile played on his lips. _Jeez...thanks Pops._ Sōma thought before he turned around and began looking for the others.

To his surprise, they were nowhere to be seen. They must have continued with the visit while he was on the phone with his father. Scratching the back of his neck with his right hand, he wondered where he should go look for them first. They couldn't be too far away anyway, he hadn't stayed on the phone more than five minutes so well.

Sōma was in the middle of deciding which course he should follow when he felt someone blow on his neck, sending a shiver down his spine. Alert, he reflexively turned around and discovered a smug looking Erina who was smirking at him in satisfaction. He felt his lips part in stupefaction and the smirk on the blonde's lips only widened at the sight.

"See how it feels now?" Erina asked in a 'Now you know how I feel when you do that to me' tone as she uncrossed her arms and extended her right hand to soundly close Sōma's mouth. "Wouldn't want you to catch flies, right?" she said, her smirk still firmly in place and it just smelt like payback and satisfaction from finally being able to do the same to him.

Sōma stared at the heiress dumbfounded for a few more seconds before a smirk of his own stretched his lips and Erina's smirk vanished in response. She didn't like the mischievous glint that had appeared in his eyes and her instincts were telling her to flee.

Erina turned around to do just that but before she could take a second step away from the boy, she felt two strong arms encircle her and lift her up so that she could no longer feel the ground under her feet. She had a strange sense of déjà vu and tried to wriggle her way out of his arms. Luckily, there was no water around this time but there were people not too far away and even worse, their companions could come and check on them any second and it would be really embarrassing if they were discovered like that, even if they thought they were going out.

However, her struggles turned out to be in vain as the red-haired lad only tightened his hold on her, refusing to let her go that easily. A few seconds later, Erina felt his hair tickling her face and neck and his face buried in the crook of her shoulder. She renewed her efforts only to still when she felt something soft and slightly wet against her skin and recognized the shape of his lips.

Erina could feel her entire body growing hotter as Sōma kissed her right at the junction between her neck and shoulder and when he finally pulled away, she was pretty sure that her entire body was glowing red. It had felt way more intimate than the previous kisses they had shared up until then and she just couldn't believe that he had done that, much less in public where anyone could see them.

Since her back was against his chest, she missed the loving and longing look in his eyes as he pulled away and slowly put her back onto the ground.

By the time, she turned around to face him, he had schooled his expression and only the mirth dancing in his eyes could be seen. Erina sent him the best glare she could currently muster but its effect was greatly diminished by the still present body-sized flush. Sōma chuckled at the sight as the thought of how adorable she looked struck him once more and he grinned down at her, completely unrepentant.

Erina glared at him some more and harrumphed as she turned away from him, her nose up into the air and her arms crossed under her chest once more which only earned her another chuckle from the redhead. Sōma let a few seconds pass before he spoke up and broke the silence.

"Now, come on. Let's look for the others." he said, taking one of her hands and pulling her along in his search.

Unbeknownst to them, hiding behind a nearby wall, was someone covering their mouth in shock at the scene they had just involuntarily been made witness of. As the images played into their mind once more, they could hear something breaking into their chest. _I shouldn't have come back..._

As Sōma looked left and right, trying to see if he saw the others, Erina was concentrating on making her blood go back to its normal course. By the time she succeeded and focused back on her surroundings, she no longer knew where she was but it would have been hard to given that she couldn't see anything past the twin golden orbs that were staring at her.

In her surprise, Erina took a step back and it could have helped in increasing the distance between them if she hadn't slipped on a tile resulting in Sōma's arms reflexively extending to catch her and prevent her from falling before pulling her into his arms thus decreasing the distance between them down to zero in a fraction of second.

Before she had even realized, her face was pressed against his chest and his arms wrapped tightly against her frame. She vaguely heard him telling her to be more careful but she couldn't be sure since the sound of her beating heart covered up most of the sounds trying to reach her ears.

It took her some time to calm down and when she finally did, she realized that the redhead had yet to relinquish his hold on her. Her heart started to beat louder once more but for a completely different reason and she was about to tell him that he could let go of her already when the sound of someone clearing their throat could be heard.

They both turned their heads towards the direction it had come from and discovered a smirking Alice who was giving them an 'I didn't mean to interrupt but...you're in public.' look. Around her, Erina could see the more or less embarrassed faces of the rest of their companions. Erina slowly felt her own face heat up once again and she pushed herself away from the redhead who obediently let her and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

While Erina composed herself, Sōma completely turned towards their friends and started talking. "So that's where you were. We were looking for you."

"Certainly didn't seem like it..." Daigo commented as he snickered away with Shōji and Alice glanced at them before continuing.

"Well, we moved quite a bit while you were on the phone but Tadokoro-chan went back to tell you which direction we had gone into, didn't you meet her?"

Sōma blinked before quickly revisiting his memories but no, he couldn't recall seeing Tadokoro after he had left the group to take his call. "Nope. Thinking about it, I don't see her here." Sōma remarked as he glanced around.

"True..." Alice murmured as she quickly glanced around herself. "Well, she knows where we went so she'll probably meet up with us soon." she added in reassurance.

"Probably but...I think I should go look for her." Yūki proposed as she glanced behind her worryingly.

"Wait." Ryōko stopped her, grabbing her forearm and turning back towards the couple. "What were you two doing after that phone call...?" she asked, her voice getting higher by the end of her sentence.

Sōma blinked at her, not having expected that question but he answered anyway, wisely leaving the whole grabbing Erina and kissing her in the neck part out after glancing at his princess and correctly interpreting the threatening look in her eyes. "...nothing much. Nakiri had stayed behind, waiting for me so we looked for you together."

Ryōko gave him a 'Really...' look before unsurely replying "Yeah...I think Megumi will be fine on her own. She'll come back soon enough." she added with a meaningful look at Yūki, telling her to let her be alone for now without any words. There was probably a lot left unsaid between the waiting part and the looking for them part so...yeah. She couldn't even begin to imagine what they were actually up to but she thought Megumi would be better on her own for now, at least if she happened to run into them doing whatever they were doing like Ryōko thought she did.

"Anyway, we found the cherry blossom trees." Ryōko added as she turned back towards the couple and pointed to her right.

Following her hand with their eyes, Sōma and Erina were met with one of the most beautiful views they had seen so far. There, longing both sides of the tile alley were cherry blossom trees in full bloom as if they were warmly welcoming them into their midst. They were also at each side of the stairs that they were currently standing on top of and between the tree rows, pink petals were playfully dancing with the wind.

After a while of simply admiring the view, they slowly began their descent. Erina stopped at the second step to catch a falling cherry blossom petal, extending her hand in the middle of its course and watching it slowly descend until it gently landed in her open palm. At her side, Sōma was affectionately watching her, enjoying one of her rare moments of pure peace and enjoyment without a fight in the air and as he was doing so, he saw a petal fall upon his 'girlfriend's' head.

Casually extending his hand over her head, he caught it then examined it for a second before letting it fall into Erina's still open hand. That had Erina questioningly glancing at him but he only smiled in response and Erina refocused on the petals in her hand.

"...they really make a cute couple, don't they..."

Yūki started and whipped around to discover a glum-looking Megumi standing a few feet behind them. "Megumi!" she exclaimed as she threw herself at her friend, making the bluenette lose her balance and almost throwing her over in the process but Megumi quickly recovered and stabilized them both before they could fall over, returning the girl's embrace as she did.

The two girls stayed like that for a while before Yūki pulled away and looked directly into Megumi's yellow eyes in concern. "...you okay?"

Megumi blinked then she looked away and answered with a small "I'm fine - I'll be fine." before looking back at the orange-haired girl and giving her a tentative smile which could have been more convincing had it not been a bit watery towards the ends. Yūki continued to look at her in concern and Ryōko gave her an understanding and encouraging smile from behind Yūki's back.

Giving them both a thankful smile, Megumi closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I have to be..." she murmured and Yūki pulled her back into her embrace.

 _...I have to..._

* * *

"Mihama American Village?"

Alice turned towards Hisako's incredulous face and nodded excitedly. "Yes, Mihama American Village."

"Why would we go to an American center when we're in Okinawa?" Akira asked, just as incredulous as Hisako currently was. They were currently in the car, rapidly leaving the ruins behind and apparently now heading to Mihama American Village.

"That's a really good question...and I have a very good answer." Alice started and everyone gave her their undivided attention. "I wanted to go there."

Silence ensued during which they all stared at her disbelievingly.

"AND" Alice started pointedly, "I thought everyone could enjoy the Ferris Wheel that they have." Most of the girls' faces lit up at the words Ferris Wheel and Alice continued with "But it looks like I was wrong so we'll go somewhere els-"

"NO!" Yūki and Ryōko interrupted with a lot more force than necessary before realizing what they had done and letting out a nervous laugh before repeating more calmly, "No, no. We are very happy with that choice, right guys?" Ryōko asked, glancing at her companions who felt compelled to nod under the intense look in her eyes. It looked like the violet-haired girl really, _really_ wanted to go. "See? Let's head for Mihama American Village." Yūki added encouragingly and Alice looked back and forth between them before smiling.

"To Mihama American Village then!"

* * *

As they stepped out of the car, the teens were all under the impression that they had crossed so much more than a few kilometers. If they hadn't known better, they could have thought that they were in America, in an open shopping center with all the American style shops around. There even were food stalls selling hot dogs and hamburgers. It really was as if a little bit of America had been implanted in Okinawa.

...and it was well protected if the military bases all around were any indication. It was a bit impressive at first but they easily got over it and focused on the entertainment center.

"I read that sunset is really impressive from the Ferris Wheel so let's keep it for later and enjoy the Village for now!" Alice proposed, putting a damper on the Polar Star girls' excitement but they recovered fast and decided to look for something else to do in the meanwhile.

Without wasting any more time, they all started to walk around, looking at what the different shops had to offer. After five minutes or so, they happened upon a bowling center.

"Hey guys! Want to go bowling?" Sōma asked, stopping in his steps and nodding at the building.

They stopped and stared at the edifice, considering the idea. The guys quickly agreed and the girls soon followed.

"I'm challenging you, Yukihira! I'll leave you in the dust!" Takumi exclaimed, pointing at the redhead with fire in his eyes.

Sōma looked back at the blond, a challenging glint entering the depths of his golden eyes. "That's what we'll see, Takumi. I accept your challenge." he declared, a fire engulfing the both of them.

The others sweat dropped at the scene and ignored the two, starting to make their way inside instead.

Since they were 17, they had to separate into three groups. That being the case, Sōma and Takumi chose the same group and they ended up like that : group 1) Sōma, Takumi, Isami, Erina, Ikumi, and Hisako ; group 2) Alice, Ryō, Akira, Megumi and Houjou ; group 3) Yūki, Ryōko, Marui, Shun, Shōji and Daigo.

After deciding on the groups, they all changed into bowling shoes and headed for the three bowling lanes that had been attributed to them. They were all next to one another so it didn't really feel like they had split up but it was better that way.

"So who's starting?" Alice asked, looking at the board. Upon seeing the names that had been entered, she blanked.

After a few seconds of silence, the others looked at her and discovered her staring at the screens, her lips slightly parted and her eyes wide in shock. Intrigued, they looked up to the monitor only to blank as well.

After a minute or so, Erina broke the silence.

"Who entered the names...?" she asked as her eyes slid over the group. Her purple eyes stopped on the competitive duo whose eyes were shining with mirth and amusement. "Aldini-kun, Yukihira-kun, do you have anything to say to us?"

The rest of the group all turned to look at the two obvious culprits in surprise.

"Hum," Sōma started a bit uncertainly, "it sounded cool?" he tried and Takumi tentatively nodded in agreement.

"...really?" Erina let out as she looked back at the screens.

On it, were shining their two groups' names...if you could even call them that. In order, on the first screen, they were 'Brown Bear', 'Red Flame', 'Princess', 'Faithful Second', 'Blue Knight' and 'Golden General'. On the second screen, the names were 'Red Devil', 'White Hawk', 'White Vixen', 'Sleeping Water' and 'Chinese Flower'. How on Earth they had managed to fit some was a mystery. Then again, _kanjis_ were just that convenient. It probably wouldn't have fit in _hiragana_ and _katakana_.

Isami's muffled laughter rang through the air and they turned to look at him, blinking before deciding to let it slide and looking at the other group's screen. Truthfully, it wasn't any better and resigned, they all took a seat.

"So, who's Red Devil?" Alice asked, her eyes darting between Yukihira and Ryō.

"I suppose it's me." Ryō replied, glancing at Yukihira for confirmation from where he was standing, already choosing his first ball.

"Yeah." Sōma confirmed before turning towards the others. "And White Hawk is you." he declared, looking at Hayama.

"Figures." the white-haired teen said as a light sigh escaped his lips.

"I'm guessing I'm Brown Bear." Isami spoke up, glancing between his twin and the redhead.

"Yes." Takumi confirmed. "I'm Blue Knight and Golden General is Ikumi." he added with a look towards the green-eyed beauty. As usual, she adorned sexy clothing and if they weren't already used to it, they wouldn't have known where to look.

"Let me guess, she's Sleeping Water and I'm Chinese Flower?" Houjou asked, pointing at Megumi and herself.

"Yup. And I'm Red Flame and she's Princess." Sōma said, putting his arm around Erina who simply glared at him.

"And I'm Faithful Second." Hisako said and it was more of an affirmation than an interrogation.

"I'm guessing I'm White Vixen then." Alice deduced and received nods of confirmation from the two boys. "Well, now that this is clear, let's start." Alice suggested, looking back at their lane only to sweat drop as she saw Ryō heading for them, the ball that was in his hand nowhere to be seen. A quick glance at the board informed her that his first throw had resulted in a strike and she frowned at her aide. "Ryō-kun!" she started in a reprimanding tone, "You could have waited for us to finish the explanations before starting the game!"

Ryō blinked before replying, "Well, the other group had already started so I figured I might as well."

"Well, that's not how it works!" Alice scolded and started explaining why he should have waited for them to finish first.

Cheers covered Alice's voice and they turned towards the other group to see Shōji and Daigo in the middle of an high five, both with spares next to their...names - or at least they supposed it was theirs.

"Well, I'm guessing it's my turn then." Akira said, standing up and heading towards the balls.

"Yeah, I'll be going too." Isami said as he stood up and chose one ball.

At last, the game was finally starting.

* * *

By the end of the fifth turn, Ryō and Alice were leading separated by a small margin and ahead of Sōma by 15 points who was first in his group. Only 5 points behind him was Isami who was followed by Ikumi. In fifth position was Hisako who was actually just after Erina. Takumi was dead last. With only 27 points, except if Sōma suddenly started to play poorly, he wouldn't be able to beat him in this game.

"What was it again? 'I'll leave you in the dust'?"

Takumi flinched as he glanced behind him, and was met with the smirking face of one Yukihira Sōma. He felt his face grow hotter as he started to tremble in frustration. It didn't get any better when Takumi heard his twin's muffled laughter right next to him.

"Shut up." Takumi muttered in Isami's direction as Yukihira wiped all the remaining pins, scoring a spare for his sixth turn.

Seeing this, Erina stood up to take her turn and picked up a ball. Sōma stayed on the side of the lane to watch her play as he did since the beginning of the game. Since it was her first time playing, he had been teaching her and she seemed to be getting the hangs of it now.

Erina approached the foul line and worked on aiming the ball as Sōma had told her to before releasing it. It went rolling towards the center pin but deviated towards the left a few inches before colliding with it and only 3 pins were sent flying.

"It's always going a bit to the left when you throw so try to place yourself a bit more on the right next time. Now, try to aim more to the right." Sōma said from where he stood a few feet away from her.

Erina glanced at him and nodded as she took another ball and adjusted her grip on it. Then, letting her hand fall by her side as she firmly held onto the ball, she started to swing it as she tried to aim for the right. After one or two swings, she released it and the ball rapidly rolled towards the right, scattering the standing pins at the end of its course.

"Spare!" came the loud comment of the machine and Erina's face lit up in front of the now bare lane. She turned towards Sōma with a bright smile but when she was met with his own fond smiling face, she suddenly felt a bit self-conscious and cleared her throat, schooling her too excited expression in the process.

"Thanks." Erina simply said as she turned around to sit up down, letting Hisako take place in front of the foul line with her ball.

"You're welcome." Sōma replied as his smile widened before he moved to sit next to his princess and focused his attention back on the game, unaware of the eyes that had been watching the exchange.

Ikumi sighed in resignation as she averted her eyes from the scene. Hearing that, Takumi turned towards her and eyed her with a mildly worried expression for a few seconds before opening his mouth to speak.

"You're alright?"

Ikumi glanced at him, a bit surprised at his words before looking back at the lane and replying with an unconvincing "I'm fine." which brought a light frown on Takumi's handsome features. He was about to speak again but she beat him to it. "That aside, you might want to get up right now." Ikumi said as she glanced between him and the lane.

Following her gaze and halting at the screen, Takumi felt his lips part in mild shock at seeing that yet another spare had been scored by the purple-haired teen. He had yet to score any and he could feel the frustration and embarrassment begin to build up as he stood up and picked up a ball.

"Try not to aim for the gutter." came the mocking voice of his younger twin and Takumi could just hear the restrained laughter in his voice.

The blond felt his ears heat up as he muttered a small "Shut up." and walked towards the foul line.

A few seconds later, the sound of the ball rolling towards the pins could be heard, soon followed by the sound of it dropping into the right gutter. Isami's muffled laughter could be heard in the silence that followed even as his red-haired rival aimed a half mocking half encouraging "Don't mind him."

Takumi could feel his body heating up by the second as his closed fists shook in frustration and embarrassment by his side. He couldn't let the game end like this. He had to catch up with the redhead no matter what.

Nodding, he walked away from the foul line to pick up another ball before coming back to it and staring at the lane in concentration.

A few seconds later, the sound of scattered pins and a robotic voice shouting "1 pin!" could be heard in the silence.

The frustrated Takumi quietly stared at the still standing pins in frustration. Even after all that wobbling, they still ended up staying up and proud.

He swore, they must have been conspiring against him. That was the only explanation.

* * *

"Be careful not to stand up during the ride." the man said as he closed the cabin behind the couple.

From where he now sat in front of Erina, Sōma looked up and let his eyes rest on the heiress. The blonde was excitedly looking outside as they began moving upwards.

After the bowling game had ended (unsurprisingly, Takumi ended up losing miserably and was laughed at by his teasing brother and amused rival), they decided to stop at a small stand to grab a bite before heading towards the Ferris Wheel. Sōma had chosen to try to a cinnamon roll but since the size of the thing was big enough to feed at least ten people, he had ended up sharing with the rest of the group. It was really good and even Erina had admitted to it not being too bad which had elicited an amused smile turned chuckle from her 'boyfriend'.

When they were done eating, they had noticed the sky slowly turning orange and had finally started to head for the highlight of the Mihama Village, the Ferris Wheel proudly standing in its midst.

Unexpectedly, Sōma and Erina had ended up taking a cabin for themselves and were now seating face to face as they were slowly lifted towards the top. After staring at the blonde in silence for a few moments, Sōma spoke up.

"So? How was today?"

Erina glanced at him before looking back at the scenery even as she parted her lips to answer.

"Well, it was okay." she simply said and Sōma smiled at the remembrance of the excited heiress looking around at the ruins, cave and now sky. His smile rapidly turned into a smirk as he spoke.

"Only okay? You seemed pretty excited for an 'okay' day." Sōma said in a teasing voice as a mirthful glint appeared in his eyes.

Looking back at him in an attempt to glare that failed exceptionally, Erina opened her mouth to speak before closing it again and taking her lower lip between her teeth as she deliberated with herself. Sōma's eyes followed the action and he was suddenly assaulted by the urge to kiss her right here and there.

Did she only know what she was doing to him? Probably not. She surely had no idea how much he just wanted to close the gap between them and taste those alluring rosy lips for himself at the moment. And he couldn't let his thoughts wander that way or he didn't know if he'd be able to restrain himself even with his arms crossed across his chest.

 _Shit. Stop biting your lip already…_ Sōma thought as he forced his golden eyes to slid back up to her purple ones only to find them glancing at him hesitantly.

…this definitely wasn't helping at all and he decided to look at the scenery instead, averting his eyes from resting on her person completely and tightening his hold on his arms.

As he tried to aim all of his thoughts towards the beauty of the slowly setting sun, storing the dangerous ones away, Sōma heard the heiress murmur "I guess fun would be a better word." In a quiet voice and he felt his lips stretch in a gentle smile at the admission.

Before he knew it, he was meeting the purple eyes of the blonde and found himself unable to look away. It was Erina who broke the spell for him by looking back outside. The setting sun was even more beautiful from the peek of the Wheel. Erina watched as it slowly started to merge with its wavy water reflection until she felt the cabin wobble and turned wary eyes towards her companion.

He was now standing and she silently watched as he made his way to her and sat beside her, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her towards him.

Confused, she sent him a questioning look before quietly asking "What are you doing…?" to which he only answered with a smile before he let his head fall on top of hers. She had half the mind to free herself from him but stopped herself and decided to let him. Who knew who was watching right now…so she let him and only let her eyes fall back onto the scenery.

…but if she was being completely honest with herself, she'd have to admit that she didn't completely hate it.

* * *

" _Listen Erina, you only need to listen to me. You only need to approve of what I approve of. Everything else should be thrown away. Throw it away, Erina."_

 _Azami took Erina's wrist and began to drag her to the nearest trash can. Erina struggled against him and held on tight to the plate which she had only taken a single bite of still in her hand._

" _No…! I don't want to! I don't want to throw it away! Father, don't make me please!" Erina cried out with teary eyes and a trembling voice._

" _Oh? Then I don't need such a child." Azami declared coldly and suddenly, Erina was the one standing at the bottom of the trash can._

The sound of a deep breath being taken filled the still air of Erina's room as her eyes popped open in terror. Her wide purple eyes slowly took in the moonlit room and a few minutes later, Erina sat up on her bed. Looking down at her, she noticed that she was still wearing her day clothes and vaguely recalled hitting her bed as soon as she entered her room and deciding to take her shower a bit later. Looked like she had fallen asleep completely instead…until then at least.

A water drop landed on her thigh and she looked down at it. It was soon joined by another one and it took her a few seconds to realize that those were her own tears falling down from her cheeks. When she did, she lifted her right hand and touched her face.

 _Why am I crying…?_ Erina wondered as she stared at her now wet fingertips in silence for a long moment. _…it's been a while since I last had that dream…_

Letting her eyes slid over the room, she let rest on the bathroom door before deciding to take a shower. It'd probably take her mind off it.

Ten minutes later, a refreshed Erina sat up on the bed. She finished drying up her hair with one towel hanging around her neck as to not wet her pajamas. Once she was done with that, she got up and hang them up behind the bathroom door before crawling under the sheets and getting ready for the night. Then closing her eyes, she slowly gave in to the slumber that was attracting her into its depths.

* * *

A sharp intake of air echoed in the air as teary purple eyes shot open in the dark of the night. It was followed by the sound of rapid breathing as the heiress focused on her surroundings. Then sitting up, she wiped the tears that were beginning to fall away and blinked to stop the remaining ones to achieve their formation.

… _again…_

The blonde slowly let herself fall back into the sheets, her eyes still wide open. It was the second time that she had that dream that night. She didn't know if she would be able to endure a third round and now feared to fall asleep once again.

Why was this only happening now? She had learned about her father the day before so wh- wait. The night before she had slept with - oh. Was that the reason why she hadn't had nightmares? Because he had been there beside her? If so, maybe she should - no. She wasn't so weak as to rely on the redhead not to have nightmares at night. She'd get over it all by herself. After all, she was Nakiri Erina.

* * *

The ticking of the clock resounded in the quiet room whose sole occupant was currently deeply asleep on his bed. His chest rose and fell rhythmically along with his serene breathing as he let himself be lulled into a deeper slumber. Or at least that was the plan until the sound of a door cracking open echoed in the silence, soon followed by the sound of light footsteps that seemed to be coming his way.

They stopped a foot away from him and as the slumber slowly released him from its chains, Sōma gradually cracked one eye open and let his vision adjust to the darkness. When it did, Sōma was mildly surprised to discover a nervous looking Erina. He watched as she extended a hand towards him only for it to stop a few inches from his shoulder before she retracted it to her chest. Somehow, she seemed to be very conflicted about something.

Observing her more closely, Sōma noticed the dried tear tracks that were faintly shining when a moon ray hit the heiress's cheek and let his eye take in the entirety of her face. For some reason, she seemed to be frightened about something and wary. Plus, it looked like she had been awake for a while now and it was almost 1 a.m as the lit up clock hands informed him.

What could be keeping her up this late? He clearly remembered her fast asleep so she must have woken up because of something. Did she have a bad dream? What could possibly - oh.

"… _at night, I'd dream about him throwing me away like he did the food and I'd wake up in a start with tears all over my face…"_

A fragment of the previous night's discussion came back to mind and gave him the answer he was seeking. That explained everything…except the reason behind her presence in his room so late at night.

His interrogation was answered when he felt the mattress dip in not too far from his own location. It dipped in a bit more and was soon followed by a small "Sorry for intruding." as the girl seemed to take place next to him.

Sōma let the silence fall onto them and observed the girl for a moment before opening his mouth to speak.

"How bold of you."

Erina almost jumped out of her skin at the sound of his voice and whipped around to look at him. In the darkness lying upon him, she hadn't noticed that he had awoken and stared at him with a deer in headlights expression plastered on her face.

Her mouth opened and closed but no sound exited it and she ended up remaining silent.

Sōma watched as an internal conflict played in her eyes until she twisted around and prepared to get off of the bed. That's when he shot up to grab her forearm and prevent her from doing so. She didn't even glance at him and only tried to break free from his hold but that only made him reaffirm his grip on her.

"I'm not chasing you." Sōma started in a gentle voice, "You had a nightmare, right? Just stay." he offered but Erina remained in the same position and was still giving him her back so he pulled her towards him. Losing her balance, Erina landed directly next to him and he smiled down at her before lying back down and closing his eyes, ready to fall asleep once more.

Erina watched him do so before she closed her eyes in mortification. She had planned to come and go before he could wake up but that obviously hadn't happened that way…she didn't even really want to come in the first place. What had prompted her was her third time waking up from that nightmare. She hadn't been able to fight off sleep and had fallen asleep before she had even realized it and had awoken in a start. _Again_. So, tired and worn out by her repetitive nightmares, her feet had led her directly into the redhead's room.

Now, she could either leave or stay. The perspective of another nightmare wasn't so appealing but the embarrassment that staying would cause wasn't either. She balanced her options for a while before the fear won the fight and Erina decided to remain on the bed where the young lad was already snoring away.

She briefly wondered how he could have fallen asleep so easily before she felt herself slowly being pulled into the depths of slumber where hopefully no nightmare would come bother her once more.

* * *

Ushered voices could faintly be heard from inside the room and Sōma stirred as he fought with the last remnants of sleepiness still present in his being. As he slowly came to and focused on his surroundings, Sōma noticed the radiating warmth pressed against him and recognizing his love, he blanked out for a moment. It took him a few seconds to understand the situation as his drowsy mind gradually recollected the night's events.

After he did, he pulled her a little bit more into his chest with the arm that was hanging around her and burrowed his face into her hair. She must have been really terrified if she had to come into his bed in the middle of the night to get some sleep. Pulling away to have a look at her face and satisfied by the peacefulness he found there, he resumed his position - or at least that was the plan.

Just as he was about to, a knock resounded in the room. Startled, Sōma turned his face towards the main door of his room and hoped whoever it was would just go away without insisting. With their current position, there was no doubt that whoever it was could have some kind of misunderstanding and he was pretty sure that his princess would be less than happy if it became known by all that they had slept in the same bed, along with some other rumors...though Alice already knew.

…if only it was just Alice…

As he remembered the previous morning's breakfast, a sigh escaped Sōma's lips. By the look of things, it seemed like his dorm mates knew already and knowing how quickly news spread among them, maybe their whole group knew by now…he just hoped Erina wouldn't find out about that.

His prayers would stay unanswered and a hesitant knock echoed in the room once more - or more precisely in Erina's currently empty room and his because of the door connecting their two rooms.

…they were _so_ screwed…

The slow cracking of Erina's main door being opened confirmed that fact, even more when it was hurriedly closed by their mysterious visitors, probably after their eyes had laid on Erina's empty bed.

Oh well, what was done was done. Better enjoy the remaining peace while it lasted.

And with that thought, Sōma tightened his hold on the still sleeping blonde and closed his eyes in hope to catch some more sleep. He'd deal with it later.

* * *

"… _Excuse me_?"

The tone that the blonde heiress used to respond had shivers running through the Polar Star dorm girl trio who wondered if it wouldn't have been better not to ask anything instead of facing the powerful girl.

Meanwhile, Erina was wondering if she had actually heard them right. She couldn't have, right? There was no reason why they would ask her something like that since there was no reason for them to know about that, right?

Under Erina's icy stare, Yūki, Megumi and Ryōko felt like disappearing from her sight already but it couldn't be undone now and the question had been on their mind all day yesterday so to hell with it, they had to know what was going on.

…or maybe they could have lived not knowing. They weren't so sure they would survive this conversation (if you could even call it that…) right now so they probably should have kept their mouths shut and keep on living wondering.

After a full minute of silence, Yūki finally found her voice again and tried to explain.

"Well," she started in a voice shakier than what she had intended, " we saw that picture on Alice's phone yesterday morning and you weren't in your room this morning so we were just wondering - eek!" Yūki's voice had gone steadily higher and higher as she talked until she found herself unable to continue further under the eyes of the furious blonde. The purplish orbs promised hell and Yūki found herself too frightened to speak. How on Earth could Yukihira deal with that, she didn't know but she guessed he was a special case.

Yūki's attention snapped back to the heiress when she took an incandescent step towards them and her green eyes closed in anticipation. She only opened them again when she heard Nakiri's steps fade away in the distance and was sure it was safe to do so.

Praying for God's protection for whoever would have that wrath unwrapped unto them, Yūki watched with the girls as the last of honey blonde hair disappeared around the corner and contemplated their foolish previous selves.

What on Earth had made them think it was okay to just go up to Nakiri Erina right after breakfast and just ask if she had been sleeping with her boyfriend for a long time? She honestly couldn't remember anymore.

… _let's just hope nobody will die today._

* * *

 _ **Present, Wednesday morning, Nakiri villa**_

 _Aliiiiiiiiiice!_

Erina was _so_ going to kill her right now. How far did she have to go in humiliating her like that? Didn't she have enough by now? Well, Erina did and she would make sure that this was the last time that she suffered such a loss of face from her hands.

Finally reaching Alice's room, Erina angrily turned the knob, not bothering to knock, and slammed the door open preparing to finish her cousin off only to freeze in place in shock.

There, standing before her two very eyes were Alice and Kurokiba-kun, completely wrapped around the other. They were currently engaged in a tight lip lock and Erina felt all her murderous predisposition melt like snow under the summer Sun as pure shock replaced it all.

At the sound of the door violently crashing against the door stop, Alice pulled her face away from Ryō's and turned to see who was intruding on their private time. As her red eyes took in the shell-shocked form of her blonde cousin, she disentangled herself from her man's embrace and fully faced her uninvited guest with one of her carefree smiles.

"Hey Erina."

Erina could only stare, unable to form any coherent thoughts, much less any words. Her purple orbs slid back and forth between the two of them as the young man nonchalantly put his hands in his pockets, uncaring about the whole situation and Alice was looking at her as if she hadn't been engaged in an intimate act in front of her cousin less than ten seconds ago.

… _what ? Just_ \- what _?!_

* * *

 _Tbc…_

 _And now, I think you all understand what I meant when I said that I can only blame myself for starting like that. That said, hope you enjoyed :) (and this is subject to edits)_

 _Answer to guest reviews:_

 **Putangina:** He is indeed though we probably won't see him much here.

 **Haru:** Glad you like it so much ;) And sorry for the wait :/ I'm guessing you had time to reread it in between… ^^' Yeah, even when he's not physically there, he can bring lots of damage for our blonde :/

 **Guest** (1): …hope this one was worth the wait as well… ^^' Well, I love it when I get replies for mine so I do it too x) …hope you didn't actually check everyday though…

 **Irza:** Right? XD Fake? Well, officially yeah but it's more like he's doing what he really wants to under that cover ;) She should ^^ But the road until then might be long… :/

 **Guest** (2): …I can't even imagine what you'd say about the time I took this time…

 **Selpi:** You're welcome ;)

 **Guest** (3): You're gonna make me blush XD Thank you x) Glad you're enjoying this story ;)

 **Guest** (4): I don't wanna be a murderer though XD But here's another fluff attack? ^^'

 **Atsuko:** …sorry for the late chapter… Glad you liked it x) Well, I don't actually want Azami to physically appear since it would lead to even more complications and I could go there but it'd be super long and I don't want the original plot to influence me and just write what's already official. I try not to actually make up too many things and stay as close to the characters' infos we got. Like Soma's mother. We don't actually know if she's dead or not but I suppose she might be because it makes more sense like this. …did I make you even more confused? True XD He's getting touchy-feely though he's just enjoying it while he still can. He doesn't know what will happen after the time limit after all.

 **Guest** (5): I would have loved to give you some when you needed it but I just couldn't seem to finish this chapter… Hope I can still help with your motivation.

 **Guests** (6 & 7): Here it is :)

 **Guest** (8): Sorry for the long wait :(

 **Jjha:** I'm not stopping until it's complete ;) …that might take some time.

 **Raven11:** Hey :D Happy to hear that ^^ …and sorry for the long wait… hope it was worth it…?

 **Guest** (9): You're welcome and sorry for the wait…

 **Concerned Reader:** I'm not, don't worry. ;) I'm never gonna abandon our Sorina ship :D :D :D

 **Poochie:** Yes XD ^^'

 **Hai:** A year. LOL Thankfully, I didn't take that long lol…

 **Eris:** Done ;)

 _Thanks to the registered reviewers as well_ _ **silentworld94, ChaosOmega8, Keysone, that-girl-on-the-corner, madeyemoody95, lilydarrens, Master E.N.D, Eramis8, acpeters, jawdas33, Justinsj5, BlackZ3r0, LeoneKun, cherryblossom321, OrangeSpark5555, sarara1.8, raydark182, Generation Zero, Mei-Aihira, aominesshi, HelL4DAluCarD, JuniorL Cloud, Hinate, HiragaSaito16, Vincent D'Great, kiba zero, NPwall**_ _and_ _ **julieeamazing**_ _. (I'm still replying to some, sorry about that.)_

… _well, till next time?_

 _Ja na~_


	27. Frozen flame

_Hello everyone!_

 _Sorry for disappearing on you all… Internships and studies are getting really intense and writers' block wasn't helping. At all. I don't know when I'll post next chap… Also, I've been off and on FFN for a while. :/ But I'd hate to let this story unfinished and I am going to finish it. More notes at the end._

 _Thanks for putting up with me and taking the time to read, follow, favorite and review :)_

* * *

 **Chapter 27: Frozen flame**

* * *

"Mou~…Come on, Ryō-kun, it's not as if I was asking for something impossible and it'll only take a few seconds." Alice pouted as she lifted her red eyes to meet the black-haired teen's eyes.

"Ojou - Alice-ojou" Ryō corrected under the glare of his mistress but it didn't diminish one bit and he tried again. "Alice." This time, her eyes softened and she smiled in satisfaction before nodding and encouraging him to continue. "Why do you want to do that now?"

Alice crossed her arms under her chest and pouted, her smile morphing into a discontented frown. "Do I have to have a reason to ask for a kiss from my boyfriend?" she asked, indignant.

"Yes." was the immediate answer and Alice's lips parted in shock.

The white-haired girl stared at the man standing in front of her for a long time as her expression changed from pure shock to slight disappointment. Ryō was watching her with an unreadable expression on and Alice silently wondered why he seemed so unenthusiastic about the idea. Sure she had been the one bringing up the whole dating thing but he had agreed, and rather easily at that. Nothing had really changed in their relationship though since they were already close as is except maybe the title they now held. And the occasional hugs. And cuddling.

But most of the times, she was the one initiating these things and he seemed to only follow along but she knew he wouldn't do it if he really didn't want to. Or at least that was what she thought until that very moment. Maybe he really was just going with the flow.

Alice would have pondered over that new fact a bit more if a breath on her face hadn't caught her attention. Lifting her eyes to its origin, she found herself staring directly into two ruby orbs which depths were as unreadable as their owner.

Next thing she knew, he had leaned in and his lips were on hers. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise before she slowly closed them and leaned into the kiss.

She had barely started to kiss back, sneaking her arms around his neck to pull him closer as she tilted her face to get a better angle when the loud sound of the door being thrown open and banging against the wall resounded in the room, shaking them out of their world and Alice opened her eyes, falling into Ryō's and staring for a moment as he pulled away before glancing at the intruder.

 _Erina._ Alice thought with a disappointed sigh as she slowly pulled herself away from Ryō's toned body and turned towards her blonde cousin, not really caring about the fact that they had been caught in the act.

"Hey Erina." she said with a carefree and slightly inquiring smile.

The blonde seemed to be completely shell-shocked as her lips parted and closed in a perfect imitation of a goldfish. Under normal circumstances Alice would have been more than amused over that fact but since she had been brutally interrupted in the middle of things she wasn't really in the mood to entertain her cousin. Or maybe she was. Alice briefly wondered how much Erina could take until her mind completely broke down.

A ghost of a cunning smile shadowed her face for a fraction of second before she turned towards the ever unfazed Ryō and sweetly smiled at him. His half risen eyebrow told her that he was sensing something from her and his eyes silently questioned her but he remained still and simply waited for her next actions.

Alice glanced between him and the door connecting their two rooms before her eyes settled on him and Ryō nodded in understanding before starting to turn away. However, Alice wasn't done with him yet and her hand shot to his neck only to stop mid air at the sounds that reached her ears.

Small steps were resounding in the hallway, soon accompanied by a very familiar voice. They stopped just in front of her room as their owner tilted their head to the side in wonder.

"…Erina-sama?"

Hisako's tone was inquisitive and she carefully entered after nodding towards the other occupants of the room, swiftly making her way to the still frozen blonde.

Alice clicked her tongue at the interruption and let her hand fall down against her side. She sent a brief glare towards the purple-haired teen before closing her eyes and sighing. When she opened them again, an easy smile was adorning her face and all trace of discontentment had disappeared from her expression.

"Ah, good timing Hishoko-chan. Could you take her back to her room for me? My dear cousin seems to have frozen on the spot for some reason."

Hisako turned towards her and Alice sent her a small smile. She let her brown eyes try to read into Alice's face for a while but couldn't see any more than the favor she was asking for. She was sure she had something to do with her cousin's current state but if her final tone was any indication, she had absolutely no intention of sharing any kind of information about that with her.

Recognizing a lost battle when she saw one, Hisako only nodded and encircled her mistress with one of her arms.

"Come with me, Erina-sama. I'll take you back to your room."

The unresponsive blonde was like a doll in her arms as Hisako led her away and out of the room but not without throwing a suspicious look over her shoulder. She didn't know what had happened inside there but she'd come to know about it at some point. For now, she had better things to do, like taking care of her friend.

"Erina-sama? Are you alright?" Hisako asked in concern as she opened the door to Erina's room and closed it behind the both of them.

The blonde didn't even seem to be hearing her and Hisako's concerned frown grew deeper. She sat her mistress on the couch present in the room before straightening up and examining the girl. Her purple eyes were looking at something only her could see and it seemed like she didn't know what to make of it. Hisako didn't know what Alice had done this time but it seemed like she had broken her cousin's mind just like that. Erina wasn't even blinking. It was actually a bit scary to look at but the concern that Hisako felt overwhelmed that feeling.

After a long silence, Hisako sighed and closed her eyes in powerlessness. What was she supposed to do? How could she make her friend come back to her senses? She didn't know and she couldn't even begin to imagine what had transpired to leave her in that state.

At first, she had been looking for Erina because she had heard the Polar Star girls talking about the frightening experience they had just had while confronting Erina about the photo they had seen on Alice's phone the day before and Hisako just knew that if Erina wasn't appeased very soon, all hell would break lose and she certainly didn't want that to happen. She _had_ looked for the best way to hide a body when the whole thing with Yami-san had happened but she didn't really want to have to use it - even if she would without a second thought should the need arise. But for now, she just wanted to find the furious blonde. She certainly wasn't expecting to find her shell shocked instead and she didn't really know how to deal with her present self.

Her frown deepened even more as she wondered what to do. Another sigh escaped her lips as she thought about the plan that had been made for the day earlier. Since they were still a bit tired from the previous day, it had been decided that they'd only go out in the afternoon and she was thankful for that. With Erina like that, she didn't know how she would have been able to go with them and her not going would have been regretful since it was the first time Erina-sama came to Okinawa. She wanted her to enjoy the vacation while she could since she didn't have much of that back there in Tōtsuki.

Opening her brown eyes once again, Hisako slowly lifted them up to her lady and let them rest on her. For now, the most important was to help her come back to herself but she didn't even know where to begin…

Well, she guessed she had the rest of the morning to figure something out.

* * *

Okay, so…she tried. She really did but all she could get out from Erina was - a blink! Wait, she blinked?

Hisako rubbed her eyes once then twice before looking again.

Erina was still blinking, probably starting to give her eyes the hydration they were dying for after so much time spent only dreaming about it while their owner was spacing out.

Hisako barely restrained from jumping on her to hug her out of sheer relief as she started to tear up in joy.

"Erina-sama!"' she exclaimed with a big smile as she came closer to the waking girl.

After a last blink, Erina's amethyst eyes slowly focused on her secretary. A few seconds passed before her lips parted slightly to allow a small "Hi…sako?" to go past her lips as recognition flashed in her eyes.

"Yes, Erina-sama!" Hisako responded way more happily than she usually would have and that got her a slightly raised eyebrow from Erina as if asking why she was so happy today but Hisako couldn't bring herself to care about it and Erina let it slide as she let her eyes wander on her surroundings.

The heiress didn't immediately recognize the room she was in but a few seconds later, her brain started to conjure the recent memories up and it all started to fall into place. And soon, the most recent ones came back as well making Erina jump out of the couch and Hisako stepped back in a start, barely managing to avoid the imminent collision.

"Alice! She was - With - with - What?!" Erina exclaimed, spurting out words that didn't make sense to anyone but her since she finished none of her sentences.

Hisako was trying to follow her but she just couldn't understand. She already knew that the white-haired teen had something to do with the shock that her cousin suffered but she had no idea what exactly it was that she had done this time…and by the looks of it, she wouldn't learn anything more from Erina.

Thinking about the blonde, she was still agitated over whatever it was that was flustering her and she ended up sitting back down in a slump as she kept on muttering words that Hisako couldn't make out.

Erina brought her hands to the top of her head as she seemed to be thinking about what had happened with Alice and to any onlookers, it looked as if she had trouble believing what she had seen or couldn't decide whether it was real or not and Hisako was positively confused.

What on Earth could have happened? Knowing Alice, it could be literally anything and Hisako doubted she'd ever find out about what it was by herself. But that wasn't what mattered now.

Taking a few steps towards her friend, Hisako stopped just in front of her and kneeled before looking up at the blonde. Her amethyst eyes were darting left and right and she seemed to be completely out of it. Hesitantly, Hisako called out "…Erina-sama?" in a small voice and Erina's eyes stopped their crazy dance as their owner slowly lifted them up to meet Hisako's brown ones.

The two girls stared at each other in silent, Hisako in concern and Erina in complete discomposure. After a few seconds of silence that seemed to last for an eternity, Erina seemed to take in her surroundings once more and realize the situation she was in. She couldn't believe she was showing such an unsightly side of herself to her secretary - or rather, she was thankful that the only person present to see her like that was her ever trusted friend, Hisako.

The silence lasted for a long time and slowly became more and more comfortable. Hisako was silently assuring her friend of her presence if she ever needed her while Erina was slowly acknowledging that fact once again and that whole matter with Alice and Ryō started to matter a bit less.

The exchange could have lasted for some more time if ushered voices hadn't come in from behind Erina's closed door.

"What are you saying? Why would she even do that?"

The two girls immediately recognized Sōma's voice and question marks lifted in their minds. Why did he sound so incredulous?

"Shhh! Shhh!"

He was ushered down by a seemingly female voice and the hallway became silent again, if only for a few seconds.

"I already told you, we kinda, sorta made her mad - like, really mad and I'm afraid we'll stumble upon a corpse sometime during the day…possibly mine..."

The same voice that had ushered Sōma down quietly muttered the last part in fear, obviously a bit ashamed and uncomfortable about the whole thing and after one or two seconds, Erina and Hisako identified it to be Yoshino's. However, Erina was a bit confused over the reason behind the obvious fear her voice held.

"That's why you have to go and do some damage control!"

Yoshino quietly exclaimed and after a short moment of silence, the two girls thought they heard the boy sigh.

"Just remind me why you can't do that damage control by yourself?"

The answer was immediate.

"Do you want me to die at the hands of your girlfriend?"

Silence. And then, another sigh from the boy.

"Alright, alright." the boy finally said before adding, "But what did you say to her for her to be that mad in the first place?"

"That's - " came Yoshino's voice, distinctly flustered "It's nothing much! Just do the damage control already!" she finished and Erina could just imagine Sōma's blank look at that answer.

"Fine, fine. I'm doing it." he said in a resigned voice and immediately afterward a knock resounded in the room.

Erina and Hisako looked away from the door to glance at each other before Erina straightened up a bit as Hisako stood up and made her way to the door.

Opening it, she greeted their guest with an inquisitive "Yes?" not letting the fact that they had heard a good part of the conversation he just had show. Speaking about that, the main actress involved was nowhere to be seen. Yoshino-san was probably hiding around a corner farther away.

"Arato?" Sōma asked, a bit surprised to see her opening the door. Although, he probably shouldn't have been at all. "Is Nakiri in there as well?" he inquired after recovering from his surprise.

Hisako eyed him curiously for a second or two before nodding and opening the door a bit more as she invited him to come in. After that, she exchanged a glance with Erina-sama who gave her a little nod and Hisako excused herself, leaving them alone as she closed the door behind her.

Erina expected him to start talking immediately as he always did but shortly after opening his mouth, he closed it again, choosing to stare at her instead. After a moment of silence, Erina was starting to feel uncomfortable under his intense stare.

"…what?" Erina finally asked in a defensive tone, unable to take it any longer.

"Did something happen?"

Erina was visibly taken aback by his question and it took some time for her to recover from her surprise. Sōma was still staring at her, trying to decipher whatever the problem was and Erina felt naked under his gaze. She shifted uncomfortably in place before clearing her throat and avoiding the subject.

"Why did you come?"

"Hmm?" Sōma inquired before recalling the reason behind his presence there. Sensing that she didn't want to talk about it right now, Sōma decided to just answer her question. "Well, I heard that the girls made you mad and they wanted me to ask you if they should fear someone losing their life today."

Erina blinked at him in confusion before the memory of her encounter with the girls earlier that morning came back to her mind. Suddenly, the conversation she had just overheard made a lot more sense. It seemed to have happened such a long time ago now even if it probably hadn't even been thirty minutes yet. She had almost forgotten about it with the whole thing with Alice. Erina groaned and brought her hands to her temples. She still couldn't believe it. How on Earth had this happened ? Alice and - how did this happen?!

"Nakiri and who? What are you talking about?"

"Eh?" Erina turned up big confused eyes towards the redhead.

Sensing her confusion, Sōma elaborated. "You just said something happened between your cousin and someone."

 _Oh._ Erina shifted as she cleared her throat to maintain her composure, "I was talking about-about Alice showing that picture to your dorm mates." Erina quickly made up but as she thought about it she felt an incredible weariness settle over her. She didn't even have the strength to get angry again.

A deep sigh went past her lips as she allowed herself to lean back into the couch and closed her eyes. She was soon followed by Sōma who sat down at her right side, not too far from her spot.

"I don't understand what that girl is thinking…" Erina whispered in the silence as she let her head fall back against the couch and covered her eyes with her left arm.

Somehow, Sōma sensed that she was talking about much more than that incident with the picture but if she didn't want to talk about it, then he wouldn't pry. He now had the answer he had originally sought but he couldn't just leave like that when Erina was that troubled over whatever it was she was troubled over. So he would just stay by her side and present her with his silent support.

* * *

While Sōma was with Erina-sama, Hisako decided to investigate the matter a bit more. Crossing the hallway, she stopped in front of Alice-ojou's door and lifted her knuckles to knock. Her hand lingered in the air for a second as a sudden hesitation stopped her in her tracks. After a minute or so, she shook her head to get the thought out and let her knuckles rasp against the wooden door before she could change her mind.

A few seconds later, she heard a familiar voice calling out "Come in!" and turned the knob, revealing a carefree Alice, engrossed in some drama that was showing on the TV. She barely glanced at her before returning her gaze to the screen, only motioning for her to come closer with the hand that wasn't busy hugging her pillow to herself as she laid flat on her stomach, her feet going back and forth in the air.

Hisako only stood there, silently observing her for a while as she felt a bit out of place but Alice didn't really seem to care much about her presence. Hisako had a feeling she was able to just watch her series if she didn't say a word first so she cleared her throat once before speaking up.

"What are you trying to do, Ojou?"

Alice gave her a look for half a second before returning her gaze to the drama she was watching.

"What are you talking about?" Alice asked and she sounded genuinely confused to Hisako's ears but she knew better than to believe it.

"You know what I'm talking about."

"If I did, I wouldn't be asking." Alice replied back without missing a bit and Hisako felt incredibly frustrated.

"We both know that's not true." Hisako said, trying her best to mask the annoyance that was slowly building up in her chest and not letting it come out in her voice. "Why did you show that picture to everyone and what did you do to Erina-sama?" Hisako asked in a voice demanding answers.

"None of that was my fault. I didn't intend for it to happen and just so you know, Erina was the one who barged in without knocking." Alice said indifferently, her eyes never leaving the screen. "We both know I like to see my cousin ruffled but we also both know that I never actually did so for everyone to see."

And that was true. How much as Alice liked to mess with her cousin, she never actually went out of her way to do so publicly. Well, except the occasional teasing but even that was kept to a minimum outside of the Nakiri circle and their aids. But it was also true that she didn't go out of her way to actually cover things if they were discovered like she could have with the picture.

Hisako was getting more and more frustrated at her own powerlessness and at her lack of comeback. She couldn't think of anything to say back to the white-haired vixen because there was nothing wrong in what she was saying and she hated that. She couldn't even blame her when she presented things like that. And that didn't make her feel better at all.

Gritting her teeth at the bitter feeling of defeat, Hisako closed her eyes and took a deep breath to help settle her feelings. When she opened them again, she could only feel weariness and resignation.

"At least talk to her. I don't know what happened between you two but it seems to be affecting her a lot." Hisako said in a quiet voice.

Alice's feet seemed to freeze for a second before they started up their dance again and that was enough for Hisako. She had been heard and acknowledged and that was enough. She knew that even if she didn't always let it show, Alice-ojou deeply cared about her cousin and she would certainly do something about it.

After nodding once in acknowledgement of that fact, Hisako turned on her heels to leave, missing the look Alice sent her way with her lips pursed in thought as the secretary's words rang in the room, resounding into her mind.

She watched as the door quietly closed behind her as her thoughts started to jumble in her mind. À part of her wanted to abandon the blonde to her devices since it really was her own fault for storming in like that while the other was thinking more and more about the secretary's last words. God knew she loved to tease her cousin but she didn't actually like to see her distressed over something even if she totally deserved it and Alice silently cursed under her breath, knowing that she had already lost the battle.

She wouldn't be able to stand seeing Erina like that and probably would have gone to talk to her before the end of the day anyway, even without the secretary's intervention. That said, Erina _had_ interrupted her moment with Ryō.

 _...I'll talk to her in the evening._ Alice thought a little vindictively as she let her attention focus back on the screen where the man rushed towards his non official girlfriend as said girlfriend laid down unconscious on the concrete with blood trickling down her face. _...crap._ Alice thought with a light frown as she reached for the remote to rewind the scene.

She had just missed the most interesting part.

* * *

"Do you think he asked her?" Yūki asked a bit nervously as she turned around to face her friends. Megumi and Ryōko were eyeing her curiously as the orange-haired girl was peeping at the corridor from Megumi's threshold.

"I think he did. He's the type to do it once he says he will." Ryōko answered, her gaze still fixated on the girl before the latter resumed her previous stance.

"Then why isn't he coming out?"

"Why would he? He's with his girlfriend." Ryōko said matter-of-factly as she let her eyes fall back to the brochure lying in her lap.

Yūki went silent at that before straightening up and making her way to the girls sitting on Megumi's bed. "You got a point. I guess he wouldn't come out that quickly." she said before taking a seat next to her friends. "What is it about?" Yūki asked as she looked down at the brochure as well.

"It's about the place we're visiting this afternoon, Murasaki Mura." Megumi explained as she glanced at Yūki and then Ryōko.

"We're trying to come up with a circuit for the visit. It's a large theme park so they have a lot of choices. We probably won't be able to visit each stands but we can pinpoint the ones we really want to stop at right now. We'll lose less time this way." Ryōko finished and Yūki nodded in agreement.

"Good idea. Should I go fetch Nikumicchi?" Yūki proposed.

"Nah. She seemed in the middle of a heated discussion about meat with the twins. We'll ask if she wants to join us at lunch." Ryōko declined and Yūki nodded once more.

Just as Yūki was about to let her eyes fall back on the brochure once more, the buzzing of her phone attracted her attention and she plunged her hand into her pocket to fetch it. A text notification caught her attention. It was from Yukihira. Unlocking her phone, she slid her finger across the screen to access to the message.

' _Congrats, you'll live._ '

"I guess he did ask..." Yūki muttered under her breath in half relief half amusement as she noticed the wording he had used. Okay, so _maybe_ she had overreacted a little, she thought as she locked her phone and slid it back into her pocket before looking back at the brochure.

"This one looks interesting. What is this stand about?"

* * *

 _That should do it._ Sōma thought as he locked his phone and put it away before refocusing on the girl sitting next to him. He wasn't sure what to do actually. It didn't seem like she wanted to talk and he didn't want to leave her alone when something was obviously bothering her. Somehow, he was reminded of the ride back to Tōtsuki that they had spent sitting silently after his attempts at a conversation had failed. He didn't feel awkward often but when he did, it was always with her.

That said, she hadn't moved for a while now. Was she sleeping? He couldn't really know since her arm was covering most of her face. He crept closer to the girl in order to check and was about to lean in even closer to try and see a bit more of her face when she spoke.

"Quit it."

Erina's quiet voice startled him and he blinked before leaning back, a bit impressed.

"You actually noticed me getting closer. That's new." Sōma hummed approvingly as a corner of his mind answered his previous question. She wasn't sleeping.

Erina cracked an eye open and glanced at him before closing it again. "You didn't think I'd let you startle me out of my thoughts forever, did you?"

"Well," Sōma started as he brought his arms behind his head, "it was good while it lasted. I'll have to find another way to entertain myself." he finished with a grin which elicited a groan of annoyance from the heiress.

"Please don't." she said and if Sōma didn't know any better, he would have thought that she was begging him but her tone was a bit too long-suffering for that.

Sōma chuckled in answer and Erina sighed. She knew the guy enough to know that if he really wanted to, he would and there was no way she would be able to stop him. That aside, she briefly wondered why he was still here. He had the answer he had been seeking, right? So why was he still there? Did he need something else?

"By the way, why are you still here?"

Sōma was a bit taken aback by the sudden question and gave her a blank look. "Do you want me to leave?" he asked instead of answering directly.

There was a moment of silence after that during which Erina seemed to consider his words before she ended responding with "Do what you want." which wasn't really an answer actually but it meant that she didn't particularly want him to leave and a small smile pulled Sōma's lips up at the thought. "I just thought you would since you got your answer." Erina added as she let her arm fall back to her side and straightened up a bit before looking at him questioningly.

"True. I could have." Sōma simply said, not really explaining anything. "Speaking about that, what exactly happened with the girls? They didn't really go into details."

Erina's face darkened as her mind brought her back to earlier that day. "After breakfast the three of them approached me and suddenly asked if it's been a long time since I started to sleep with you." she retold in an irritated voice.

"...ah." was the only sound that came out of Sōma's mouth. It suddenly made a lot more sense to him. Why did they even think it was okay to just ask that to Nakiri? They didn't even talk about it amongst themselves...and it had only happened twice so far, the first one being accidental on his part. Thinking about it, it had probably been them that morning who opened Nakiri's door. Were they checking on them?

Sōma would have thought about it some more if Erina's voice hadn't brought him out of his thoughts.

"...you don't sound that surprised." Erina said in a suspicious voice. "As if you expected something like this to happen..." she added with a raised eyebrow as she squinted her eyes at him.

"Hum, yeah - about that..." Sōma started uncomfortably, "Actually, I heard your door being opened this morning and some voices while you were still asleep." Erina widened her eyes at this in a 'And you didn't even tell me!?' way as Sōma continued "And I had guessed that most of them saw the picture that Alice took yesterday based on the looks they were given us and the comments. That and Alice told me that we were 'really cute cuddling in our sleep like that' yesterday before breakfast..." Sōma trailed off and Erina's cheeks reddened a bit at the comment before she forced it down in favor of a glare.

"And you didn't tell me all of that because?"

Sōma could hear strong reproach and slight betrayal in her voice and he flinched slightly. "Well, I didn't know how you'd react." he ended up saying.

"That's no excuse." Erina replied coldly. "It concerns me as well so you should have told me." The betrayal grew stronger and Sōma was starting to feel guilty about not telling her earlier.

An heavy silence fell on both of them and Sōma didn't dare to break it immediately. Erina wasn't even looking at him anymore but he could feel the feeling of betrayal pouring out of her all the same.

A long moment passed during which none of them said anything before Sōma finally spoke up.

"I'm sorry." he said quietly and he was sure that Erina had heard him but she still refused to look at him.

Somehow, the silence grew even heavier and he honestly couldn't stand it anymore but he had a feeling he should stay quiet for now. The air was starting to feel suffocating but the heiress had yet to say a single word whether to acknowledge his apology or express her obvious discontentment.

The air felt so thick now that you could probably cut it with a knife if you tried and Sōma just didn't know what to do to relieve the tension.

After what felt like an eternity - but must have actually been only a few minutes - Erina's voice finally broke the silence.

"Did you know about the picture since the start?"

Sōma lifted his eyes towards her as he tried to gauge her state of mind. Unfortunately, the little he could see of her face wasn't enough for him to do so as she still refused to look at him.

"No, I only knew that Alice had walked in on us because of her comment. I didn't know about the picture until yesterday morning and by then, they had already seen it." Sōma answered truthfully and he heard Erina hum in thought at his answer.

As the room quieted down once again, Sōma wanted nothing more but change the subject but his mouth seemed to disagree with him as his lips stayed sealed. He internally cursed his traitor of a mouth as he fervently wished for something to break the silence - anything really, he wasn't about to be difficult about that even if he would prefer Erina's voice.

It seemed like God was taking pity on him because soon enough, a ringtone broke the silence, Erina's ringtone. The blonde uncrossed her arms - when had she even crossed them - to reach for the ringing device. It flashed with her grandfather's contact details and she immediately slid her thumb over the screen to take the call.

"Hello?" she said as she straightened up out of habit.

" _Erina? It's me._ "

"Ojii-sama." Erina said in greeting before waiting for him to continue.

" _Are you enjoying yourself?_ " he asked in a conversational tone, " _I suppose you are since I haven't heard much from you or Alice but I wanted to check._ "

"Okinawa is a really beautiful city so we really are." Erina started, mentally adding _'A bit too much on Alice's side but well...'_ before continuing "We'll tell you in details how the trip went when we'll be back."

" _Good. I'll look forward to it._ " he answered and she could just hear the smile in his voice. Her grandfather liked to spend time with his granddaughters even if he didn't have as much time as he would have liked for that. " _That aside,_ " he continued, changing the subject and Erina gave him all her attention, " _did you have the chance to look for the documents I asked you to look over for me?_ " he asked and Erina went silent.

She had found them but not only them. She had found the documents about her father as well and since then she hadn't really gone back to the library. It took her a while to find her voice to answer and she could feel the silent concern radiating from the line.

"I found them but I didn't have the chance to look over them yet." she finally said after a full minute had passed and she hoped her grandfather couldn't hear her voice crack at the end of her sentence. He was very protective of her when it came to her father and she didn't really want him to worry about her more than he already had in the past. She still remembered the nights he had spent worrying about her and holding her when she was too scared to fall asleep at night or how concerned he was when he watched her drift farther and farther away from everyone else. He had worried more than enough already.

Senzaemon didn't answer immediately and for a second, Erina wondered if he had seen through her like he always did but then he just said " _That's fine. You can bring them back and look over them here if you don't have the time to right now. You are on vacation after all. Speaking about that, did you already makes plans for today?_ "

Erina let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding as her grandfather changed the subject. She didn't know if she would have been able to act as if nothing had happened if they had continued to talk about that. Feeling as if a weight had been taken off her shoulders, she answered conversationally "Well, we are planning to go out this afternoon. We will visit Murasaki Mura if I'm not wrong."

" _Murasaki Mura...I heard that going there was really worth it. Have fun._ " Senzaemon said and Erina could hear the smile in his voice.

"We will. Thank you, Ojii-sama." Erina replied before her grandfather excused himself and they cut the call after exchanging farewells.

As the line got disconnected, Erina's shoulders slumped and she let her back fall against the couch as her body finally relaxed. That had been one stressful call. Her thoughts wandered to the documents she had accidentally stumbled upon two days ago once more and a shiver went down her spine. He was back. _Her father_ was.

... She needed some air.

Standing up from her spot, Erina began to walk towards the door under the eyes of the redhead who had yet to move from his spot. He didn't really know what was going on and wasn't sure what to do at the moment so he just watched.

Just as she reached for the doorknob, Erina paused and turned back to give him a raised eyebrow, silently asking why he wasn't getting up from the couch. Sōma blinked, a bit confused by this turn of events but stood up nonetheless and followed the blonde out of the room.

Once they were out, she decidedly closed the door of her room and curtly nodded once in his general direction, her way to bid him farewell, before she resumed walking, soon disappearing around the corner of the stairs.

Sōma wasn't sure what was going on but he did know one thing.

He seriously messed up.

* * *

 _Tbc…_

 _So, again, I'm really sorry for the wait. I honestly can't say when I'll update next, maybe in a month, maybe it'll be longer but I will update, that is for sure. I don't wanna give a date when I'm not sure I'll be able to respect my own deadline. :/ It literally took me_ months _to write this after all... It was really slow and it's slightly shorter than the recent chaps but well. Actually, the recent ones were just particularly long._

… _I don't have the courage to answer all the reviews individually right now… That said, I read all of them and they motivate me a lot so I wanna thank each of you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me be it through reviews or PMs. It's been a while since I answered to either of those…sorry about that. I probably will at some point and edit these notes to add the answer to guest reviews._

 _Thanks to all of the guest reviewers and the registered ones_ _ **Gramy-wise, Percabeth's Conjugual Love, Mr. Mrs. MDF, LeoPK, silentworld94, The Emblem of Ice, raydark182, TerrorMouse, cherryblossom321, ChaosOmega8, JLgods01, sarara1 8, Yash2001, julieeamazing, NPwall, HiragaSaito16, Justinsj5, LuckyC10, Eramis8, LeoneKun, TheVampireStrahd, Namikaze Yuuki, LoveGlutton, Generation Zero, madeyemoody95, Kakarifers, Suzaku Mizutani, woofy, Spaded Ace18, Madeline Axelle, Unmount Me, Drxcky, queenseondeok, JuniorL Cloud, lemus2012, pervertedchef, EmpireReign,**_ _and_ _ **Kaobara**_ _. I haven't answered yet to most of you but I'll try to do it little by little when I have some time. But know that I read each of them and really appreciate you taking the time to leave them. :)_

 _Also, about Ryo x Alice, honestly, I can't imagine them with anyone else but I'll admit that the revelation_ was _kinda brutal. For my defense, I didn't expect that it would come out this way even if I'm still satisfied with the result lol._

 _Well, I'll see you all before 3 months+ pass again hopefully…_

 _Ja ne_


End file.
